Professor Fouad Fouad

Biography

Fouad Fouad is a Professor of Social Sciences and Global Health at the Department of International Health at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). He has almost 30 years of experience in research, programming, and public health leadership across academia, NGOs, and government institutions. His research focuses on migration and health, with a particular emphasis on forced displacement, health systems in crisis settings, and multidisciplinary approaches to humanitarian challenges.

Prior to joining LSTM, Fouad was an Associate Professor of Public Health at the American University of Beirut, where he led the International Development Research Centre Chair of the Forced Displacement Program in the Middle East and co-directed the Refugee Health Program at the university’s Global Health Institute. He also held research fellowships at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship.

Fouad’s work has extended into global health policy through service as a commissioner on the University College London–Lancet commission on migration and health, the Lancet– American University of Beirut commission on Syria, and currently, the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health– Lancet commission on health, conflict, and forced displacement.

Fouad trained as a medical doctor, and before moving to academia, served for seven years as Director of the Primary Health Care Department at the Syrian Ministry of Health, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, where he oversaw national programs addressing HIV, tobacco control, reproductive health, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases.

Research interests

Fouad’s current research interests focus on migration and health, particularly in fragile settings. This includes the political economy of health in humanitarian contexts, non-communicable diseases and mental health among displaced populations, and the resilience of health systems. His work on health systems in conflict zones has led him to examine the weaponisation of healthcare and the targeting of health facilities and workers. Additionally, he is exploring health governance and financial models for health systems in shock-affected and conflict-affected areas.

Teaching

Fouad supervises PhD and master’s students at LSTM, providing guidance on research design, methodology, analysis, and academic writing. Additionally, he serves on the Progress Assessment Panel and the Quality Management Committee. He offers two short courses: Non-Communicable Diseases in Emergencies and Protracted Crises: Addressing Chronicity in Disrupted Health Systems and Health Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: From Emergency Response to Recovery and Resilience.

Selected research publications

Challenging gender norms through participatory action research: A cross-country study of women close-to-community healthcare providers in fragile settings – Journal: SSM – Health Systems – Published: 26th February 2026

Research capacity strengthening in fragile and shock-prone settings: Insights from a research consortium – Journal: SSM – Health Systems – Published: 14th February 2026

Process evaluation of an integrated community-based intervention to improve family planning, sexual reproductive Health, and wellbeing among Syrian refugee women and girls in Lebanon during active conflict – Journal: Conflict and Health – Published: 17th January 2026

Healthcare access among migrants in Morocco: perspectives of migrant communities, primary healthcare professionals and civil society actors – Journal: BMJ Global Health – Published: 17th December 2025

Correlates of sexually transmitted infections among Syrian refugee women and girls in Lebanon: knowledge, symptoms, and health-seeking behaviors – Journal: BMC Women’s Health – Published: 8th October 2025

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