Dr Howard has a dual associate professorship at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is based in Singapore since 2020, with ongoing research and teaching through both institutions. Before joining LSHTM in 2005, she was reproductive health technical officer for the WHO country office in Myanmar, focusing on maternal and newborn health initiatives, and worked with HealthNet TPO in Afghanistan researching malaria in pregnancy. Prior to this, she set up a malaria control programme for Population Services International (PSI) in Myanmar, conducting vector, socio-economic research and marketing research and developing pre-packaged malaria diagnostic kits and mefloquine-artesunate treatment packs for use by private general practitioners and worked in TB treatment, obstetrics, and community development in Jordan. She received a bachelor's in international development from University of California at Davis and an MSc (public health for development) and a DrPH, focussing on malaria control for Afghans, from LSHTM.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
Dr Howard's teaching is now focused at NUS Public Health, including developing a new DrPH programme, organising SPH5406 Contemporary Issues in Global Health and SPH6008 Applying Social Theory in Public Health Research, and teaching on SPH5409 Qualitative Methods in Public Health and SPH6007 Health Systems and Policy Analysis. Previously, she has organised and tought on LSHTM modules including PHM207 Health Care Evaluation, PHM101 Basic Epidemiology, PHM209/GH1503 Globalisation and Health, and PHM214 Conflict and Health. She coordinated development of, and served as a course director for, the MSc in Global Health Policy (2011-2013). She contributed regularly to developing teaching materials, particularly for distance learning, having co-authored two chapters for the 2017 second edition of the Health Care Evaluation textbook, co-authored the 2011 second edition of the Introduction to Epidemiology textbook, developed and co-authored the 2012 first edition of the Conflict and Health textbook, and co-authored a chapter on mixed-methods for a 2025 social research textbook.
Research
Dr Howard is an interdisciplinary health policy and systems researcher, working on applied, equity-oriented research in challenging contexts, namely socio-political aspects of infectious disease control and issues affecting communities marginalised by chronic adversity (e.g. conflict, emergencies/displacement, structural vulnerabilities). Under this broad theme, her research fits predominantly into two areas: (i) infectious disease control policy and practice; and (ii) equitable health services provision and access. Her work is informed by critical theory and includes themes of health equity, dialogue/voice, participation, and capacity-development, with a focus on marginalised groups and constrained environments. It advances knowledge in methodological and policy implications of the intersections of marginalisation, conflict, voice, and public health (particularly infectious disease control). Recent research includes health system adaptation and governance in Syria, strengthening health system responses to mass displacement of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, exploring the health-seeking experiences of women affected by FGM/C in Asia and Europe, and post-COVID securitisation of health.
Selected Publications
