Faculty Profiles

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Professor Paul Lalvani

Executive Director - Empower Group

Prof. Paul Lalvani is the founder and director of the Empower School of Health, and the Center for Digital Learning (CDL), and the Center for Leadership Development. He has more than 25 years of experience in capacity building, procurement, and supply chain, access to medicines, and technology transfer. The former head of Global Fund’s department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, advisor to Gates Foundation, World Bank, WHO, and various Ministries of Health. His area of expertise includes public health, advocacy, business development, capacity building, strategic planning, policy development, national, and international partnerships.

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Dr. Denis Broun

Director - Empower Swiss

Dr. Denis Broun is the director of Empower Swiss and has worked in the field of international health for the past 30 years, with emphasis on access to medicines and vaccines, equitable health financing, and health sector management. He was a former executive director of UNITAID, Geneva. As a consultant for WHO and UNAIDS, he has worked notably on issues of health system reform in West Africa towards universal health coverage, access to medicines and vaccines, pharmaceutical regulatory harmonization, as well as improving access to TB medicines in South East Asia.

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Professor Paul Spivey

Former Fellow, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain & Adjunct Faculty, Empower School of Health

Prof. Spivey holds a pharmacy degree from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate qualification in Health Services Administration from the University of Leeds. He has served as an academic pharmacist and in the UK and Nepal. He also held leadership roles such as Director of Pharmacy Services in Zambia’s Ministry of Health. With experience at WHO headquarters in Geneva and consultancy work across Asia and Africa, Paul has contributed extensively to international pharmacy through publications, training materials, and formulary development. He is a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

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Professor Andy Barraclough

Director - Education and Capacity Building,
Empower School of Health

Prof. Andy Barraclough is the professor of Public Health and director of training at the Empower School of Health. He has over 30 years of experience working with major international funding institutions and bilateral donors in medical procurement and supply chain management in low- and middle-income countries. His key focus areas include effective management of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical commodities, and especially the implementation of programs for the introduction of new medicines and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases. He has provided support to various EPI vaccine programs in Africa, South and South- East Asia and also served as the technical advisor to the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) on new medicines and health commodities.

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Ms. Kate S. Kikule

Technical Advisor at Empower School of Health

Ms. Kikule is a public health professional and pharmacist with over 20 years of experience in medical product regulation and quality assurance across Africa, Asia, and Europe. She has served previously in senior roles, including Senior Principal Technical Advisor for Pharmaceutical Regulatory Systems at Management Sciences for Health and Acting Executive Director and Head of Drug Inspectorate Services at Uganda’s National Drug Authority. Dr. Kikule has worked with international organizations—WHO, Global Fund, and UNICEF—in various capacities on strengthening national regulatory systems, product registration, GMP compliance, and pharmacovigilance. She holds an MPH in Health Economics from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Dar-es-Salaam.

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Mr. Brian Porter

Adjunct Professor at UIC and Boston University; Communication, Marketing and Project management Expert & Adjunct Faculty,
Empower School of Health

Mr. Porter is an accomplished trainer and product development expert with extensive experience across engineering, project management, human resources and international business. He has led end-to-end product lifecycles—from ideation and testing to certification, market rollout, and training—across global markets. Brian brings this hands-on expertise into teaching, blending real-world insights with engaging “edu-tainment” delivery.

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Mr. Nicolas Tavagnutti

Global Procurement & Supply Chain Management (PSM) Expert and Adjunct Faculty,
Empower School of Health

Nicolas is a global procurement and supply chain management (SCM) expert with diverse experience in SCM assessment, strategy and implementation for international foundations, INGOs and UN agencies. Able to work in complex, developed markets, leading dispersed teams to establish and improve procurement and supply chain functions. Known for installing sustainable systems and building capacity to ensure long-term efficiency. As a project and program manager in procurement and supply chain, he has led multi-million dollar procurement programs for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). among others. Leads program development and planning, governance, implementation and monitoring. He also has experience in capacity building, emergency relief partnerships, PSM consulting and executive advocacy.

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Dr. Gaurav Kumar Jain (PhD)

Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics at DPSRU & Senior Advisor, Empower School of Health

Dr. Jain is an Associate Professor at Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research University, New Delhi, with more than 15 years of teaching and research experience. He has published 140+ peer-reviewed articles, and his research spans nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, and product development. Dr Jain is deeply engaged in research focusing on formulation development using nanotechnology, proof-of-concept clinical studies, claim endorsements, and gamma scintigraphy. His work bridges scientific innovation and practical application, inspiring learners to integrate academic excellence with real-world pharmaceutical development.

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Ms. Caroline Getrude Dandira-Samatanga

Adjunct Faculty, Empower School of Health

Caroline is a regulatory pharmacist with over 15 years of experience in medicines regulation, inspection, and enforcement. She currently serves as Head of Licensing and Enforcement at the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ). She has led more than 100 GMP inspections locally and internationally and was instrumental in guiding MCAZ to achieve WHO Global Benchmarking Tool Maturity Level 3. A WHO consultant and temporary advisor, she has supported multiple regulatory strengthening and harmonisation initiatives across Africa and Asia. Caroline holds a Master’s in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (Regulatory Affairs), a Master’s in Public Health, and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Zimbabwe.

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Dr. Harpreet Kaur (PhD)

Associate Professor, Online Degree Programmes, Empower School of Health

Dr. Kaur is a trained Anthropologist with a Ph.D. in Demography and Bio-Chemical Genetics from the University of Delhi. With several years of experience in digital health research, she has contributed to key areas such as Maternal Child Health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Digital Health interventions. As an academic, she specializes in curriculum development, content creation, and capacity-building for courses like Digital Health, MPH, Leadership and Pharmaceutical Management. A dedicated researcher and educator, Dr. Kaur has authored research papers, mentored students, judged hackathons, and served on research advisory boards, demonstrating her commitment to advancing global healthcare education and innovation.

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