Reeti Desai Hobson
Reeti is an expert in infectious diseases and has more than 15 years of experience focusing on health systems across Africa and Asia. As the tuberculosis (TB) strategic lead for USAID’s (United States Agency for International Development) Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project, Reeti works to strengthen diagnostic networks and health systems and to support TB control and elimination efforts across 17 USAID priority countries. Her work includes strategic leadership and technical support for programs focused on introducing and using the latest World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended molecular diagnostics, optimizing the use and increasing the functionality of existing diagnostic networks, and improving equitable access to testing and treatment for TB patients.
Previously, Reeti conducted laboratory research at pharmaceutical firms and supported global clinical research programs. She has experience with multiple governments and multilateral clients, such as USAID; governments in Africa, Asia, and Central America; UNICEF; the Global Fund to Fight HIV Tuberculosis and Malaria; WHO; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Henry Jackson Foundation; and the Human Resources Services Administration.
Reeti is a molecular biologist by training with a graduate degree in international public health from New York University. She holds certifications in advanced TB diagnostics, quality of TB care, and the design and management of clinical trials. She is fluent in Hindi and has working proficiency in French.
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M.P.H., Community and International Health, New York University
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B.S., Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego
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Certificate, Advanced TB Diagnostics, McGill University
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Certificate, Quality of TB Care, McGill University
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Certificate, Net-Map, Qualitative Research Methodology using Principles of Social Network Analysis
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Professional Certificate, Design and Management of Clinical Trials, University of California, San Diego
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“The Big Deal with Diagnostics for Drug-Resistant TB,” Speaking of Medicine and Health, 2023
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“Strengthening Defenses, Laboratory by Laboratory,” USAID Learning Lab, 2023
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“Integrated Community Case Management: Planning for Sustainability in Five African Countries,” Journal of Global Health, 2019.
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“Saving Mothers, Giving Life: It Takes a System to Save a Mother,” Global Health: Science and Practice, 2019.
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“Sustainability and Scale of the Saving Mothers, Giving Life Approach in Uganda and Zambia,” Global Health: Science and Practice, 2019.
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“A Simple Metric for a Complex Outcome: Proposing a Sustainment Index for Health Indicators,” BMC Health Services Research, 2018.
