Biography
Alaa Dafallah is a medical doctor and PhD researcher at the Centre for Global Health Research, University of Oxford, where her research focuses on strengthening health systems resilience in fragile and conflict-affected settings, particularly Sudan. She is also a researcher and co-Principal Investigator of a multi-country research project with the ReBUILD for Resilience consortium, examining the role of diaspora communities in strengthening health systems across fragile settings. Her research has been published in leading journals, including The Lancet, BMJ Global Health, and SSM–Health Systems.
Prior to Oxford, Alaa graduated with honours in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Khartoum in 2020. She subsequently completed an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine with Distinction at the University of Oxford in 2023. She has worked as a medical doctor in underserved and conflict affected regions in Sudan, as well as a research consultant with several international organisations on community resilience, health and local governance in conflict settings.
Her work has been recognised through several awards and fellowships, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (2022), the Rhodes Scholarship (2022), the Clarendon Scholarship (2023), the Murray Speight Research Award (2024), and the Young Scientists Summer Programme/Fellowship at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis IIASA (2026).
Through her research and advocacy, Alaa hopes to contribute to more equitable, strong, and resilient health systems in Sudan, other fragile and conflict-affected settings globally with the aim to bridge inequities in access to health in regions of the world where millions of vulnerable populations continue to live. Outside academia, she enjoys spending time in nature and hiking.