Name:

Gloria Nenita Valida Velasco

Home Institution:

Department of Health Philippines

Host Institution:

Temple University College of Public Health

Award Name:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Award Year:

2024-2025

Bio / Write-up:

Mae is a public health practitioner and currently the Officer in Charge-Director IV of the Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service of the Department of Health. She will be pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Policy and Health Systems Research in Temple University’s College of Public Health. Her research interests include health systems management and governance, decision-making in public health, organizational and policy innovation, primary care services and digital health.

Trained in liberal arts and medicine, clinical epidemiology and health systems management and policy, Mae has always had a strong appreciation for the importance of decision-making in the health sector. Her work these past years in the Department has focused on information and evidence generation to support Universal Health Care in the Philippines, ranging from reforms in health policy and systems research to health statistics and health information systems. In pursuing a doctoral degree and upon her return, she hopes to apply her knowledge and expertise to ultimately achieve greater positive impact by making reliable health information more readily available to Filipinos, their healthcare providers and policymakers.

In her downtime, she revels in soul enriching activities like singing, cooking for her family and watching stand-up comedy and documentaries.