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Ajay Mahal is a Professor of Health Economics and Global Health Systems Research at the Nossal Institute for Global Health in the University of Melbourne and Professor at NCAER. From 2010 until 2015, he was the Alan and Elizabeth Finkel Chair of Global Health and Professor at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University.

Previously, he was an Associate Professor of International Health Economics in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard School of Public Health. Prior to his appointment at Harvard, Dr Mahal was the Principal Economist (Human Development) at the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in New Delhi. His recent research has focused on evaluation of health system interventions.

Dr Mahal holds degrees from Columbia University (Ph. D in Economics, 1995) and the University of Delhi (M.A. (Economics), 1986; B.A. (Economics), 1984).

Barbara McPake is Professor, Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne and Professor at NCAER. Prior to this, she was Director of the Nossal Institute (2014-23) and the Institute for International Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (2005-2014); Programme Director, Health Systems Development Knowledge Programme (2001-6) and Head of Health Policy Unit (2001-4) at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has extensive international experience in health systems research and policy analysis and advice to UN agencies and low-and-middle income country governments.

Her research focuses on the application of economic theories and methods to the understanding of issues in health system strengthening in low and middle-income countries.

She has a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Wales, College of Medicine.