Professor Sebastian Linnemayr. PHOTO/EDGAR R. BATTE
Please walk me through your career life…
I began my career path focusing on the intersection of economics and public health, earning advanced degrees in Economics from both the Paris School of Economics and Oxford University, and in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.
Over the years, I’ve transitioned from purely academic roles into applied research, where I’ve had the opportunity to work with various international organizations including The World Bank and the French Development Agency to address health challenges, particularly in low-resource settings. Since then, I have been with RAND, a research institution in the U.S., progressing to my current roles as a Senior Economist and the Co-Director of the Behavioural HIV Research Group.
What does your job involve?
My job involves conducting research, analysing data, and developing strategies to improve public health. I design and implement interventions based on behavioural economics (a fusion of economics with insights from psychology) to improve health outcomes, particularly in HIV care.
I frequently collaborate with other researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to find novel ways to achieve sustainable health improvements. I also contribute to the academic community as a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, mentor doctoral students and teach courses on behavioral economics and public policy. And of course, a significant part of my job as a researcher involves publishing research findings and presenting them to stakeholders across the globe.
How did you get to where you are today?
My journey has been driven by a passion for applying economic principles to solve complex public health problems. Academic rigor, combined with practical field experiences and continuous learning, have been fundamental.
I think that acquiring a solid academic foundation was crucial, but so was gaining practical experience through projects and spending time outside the office, and getting to know different people to better solve problems. My roles have evolved through consistently engaging with research that has real-world impact, guided by mentors and collaborations with experts across various fields.
What are the ethics upon which you anchor your work?
I like to think that integrity, respect for individuals, and commitment to making a tangible impact are the core ethics that guide my work. I am committed to ensuring that our research respects and protects the rights and welfare of participants, and that findings are used to inform and improve public health policies and practices responsibly.
I try to conduct my research according to the highest ethical standards so that the interventions we develop are culturally respectful as well as scientifically sound.
Who or what has shaped your career?
Mentors and collaborators have significantly shaped my career. Learning from their experiences and insights has been invaluable. Moreover, the communities and individuals who participate in our studies continually inspire and challenge me to come up with new ideas and better health solutions.
Professor Sebastian Linnemayr’s research is conducted according to the highest ethical standards. photo/EDGAR R. BATTE
Getting to experience conducting field studies across different countries has also significantly shaped my approach to research and intervention design and made me recognize that it is important to recognize the specific needs of people in different circumstances.
To what places has your career led you?
My career has taken me to numerous countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, conducting field research and implementing health interventions. These experiences have not only broadened my understanding of global health challenges but have also enriched my cultural perspectives.
What have been the biggest impacts of your work?
As a researcher studying conceptual pathways, my goal is to show up intervention ideas that then can be adapted locally to be implemented at scale. Therefore, I like to think that one of the biggest impacts of my work has been to develop novel health interventions that have the potential to be scaled and improve health behaviours and outcomes.
Mildmay Uganda has been a tremendous partner in this journey, and now that we have found that some of these novel interventions can work, I am happy to hand them over to my Ugandan partners to implement them in a way that is appropriate for the local context and can be sustainably implemented.
Mildmay’s Research Centre Uganda (MRCU) has the right knowledge and skills to do just that, and I am excited what they will come up with to even more successfully help the clients at Mildmay Uganda.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started out?
I wish I had known from the beginning how important cultural context is in designing and implementing interventions.
Early in my career, I underestimated the nuances of cultural differences which can profoundly affect the success of public health programmes.
What works in one context does not automatically work in another, and careful adaptation is often overlooked and can lead to disappointing results despite great initial results.
Similarly, I wish I had understood the importance of multidisciplinary approaches earlier in my career.
Public health challenges are complex and require insights from various fields, and collaborating across disciplines can lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
What do you consider your biggest career failure? What lesson did you learn from that experience?
One of my early projects did not achieve the expected outcomes due to inadequate stakeholder engagement. This experience taught me the critical importance of involving community members and stakeholders at all stages of a project, from planning through to implementation and evaluation.
Apart from work, what else defines you?
Outside of work, I am passionate about mentoring the next generation of researchers and practitioners. I also enjoy exploring different cultures through travel and culinary experiences and enjoy cooking for my family.
What is on your wish list?
Professionally, I aspire to further develop interventions that can be effectively scaled to achieve broader impact, and that can swiftly respond to changing global health dynamics.
Personally, I aim to mentor more young researchers and contribute to building the next generation of public health leaders, in particular in the countries in which the problems need to be addressed, such as in Uganda. I am therefore excited to see the growth of Mildmay’s Research Centre and wish them the best of luck on their journey.
