OUR TEAM
We are an international team working remotely, supporting global health projects and organisations in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Our multidisciplinary team is passionate about strengthening core pillars of successful interventions. We do so by providing strong evidence, ongoing training and support and by creating motivated teams.
Our experts provide a variety of organisations with technical support, research, monitoring and evaluation advise and development of training curricula.
Candela Iglesias
Founder and Director
Read her interview for the LSHTM Alumni blog here
List of publications (pdf)
Candela’s aspiration is to do her part to ensure good health and wellbeing for all, especially the most vulnerable. She is passionate about using evidence to improve programmes in humanitarian and development settings. For years, she has worked supporting international and local actors to strengthen their results by using interventions that are proven to work, strengthening their data and reinforcing leadership and teambuilding.
She holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and did her PhD research and Masters in Microbiology-Virology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
Candela has over 18 years of experience on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, along with experience in Epidemic preparedness and response, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent health, gender equity, psychosocial support and mental health programmes.
She has worked with NGOs, multilateral organizations, academia and health institutions in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia supporting them in:
- Developing health and psychosocial support programmes.
- Analysing results and sharing lessons learned in adequate forums.
- Understanding and setting up monitoring and evaluation systems.
- Strengthening program management and organizational processes.
- Training individuals in leadership skills and public speaking/advocacy.
- Designing and imparting workshops to train facilitators in health issues (HIV-AIDS, Sexual health, qualitative and quantitative data analysis).
Candela has authored several research papers. She is also the author of “Build Your Dream Team. Leadership based in a passion for people”, and the founder of Sekkan Leadership, a platform helping people from non-managerial careers, particularly in the sciences and health fields, to become stronger leaders.
Candela is available for podcasts and lectures. Please contact us at sue.tuck@alandahealth.com to discuss in more detail.
Dr. Michelle Imison
Global Health Projects Lead
Michelle is a global health specialist who has enjoyed a varied career in international development, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
She has extensive experience in global health advocacy and consulting, with a strong focus on tuberculosis, immunisation, and global health financing. She has led advocacy efforts with Results Australia and worked with the Stop TB Partnership around UN High-Level Meetings on TB. She has also provided technical support to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Specialist Health Service. Earlier in her career, she worked on gender and human rights projects with the UN and in Bangladesh, and she has completed consulting assignments for organisations including Caritas Australia, FHI 360, and UNICEF Bangladesh.
Michelle holds a Master of International Public Health (with Merit) and a PhD in Public Health, both from the University of Sydney, and has worked in research here and at the University of New South Wales. She has an extensive academic publication record, particularly in health news and risk communication – including (as first author) on all six studies from her PhD thesis – with a special focus on qualitative (thematic, interview and focus-group) research.
Michelle is a member of the Specialist Health Service panel (maintained by Abt Australia on behalf of DFAT). She has served as a volunteer election observer in Myanmar (2015) and Timor-Leste (2012), as a Director of Oxfam Australia (2008-12), and also has a proud history of involvement with initiatives that connect and mentor women working in the sector (Women in Aid and Development) and that seek to improve the effectiveness of international development work (XSPI – the Cross-Sector Development Partnerships Initiative).
Julius Okanta
Project Manager
Julius Okanta is a passionate young professional targeting a long and prosperous career as a public health analyst. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Aberdeen.
Julius has over five years of project and programme management experience in the health and development sectors. In his current role, Julius oversees Alanda Health’s social media strategy, leads project planning, and supports external and internal projects. As a passionate advocate for health equity, Julius is excited to contribute to Alanda’s mission of building a healthier and more equitable world.
Teodora Randelovic
Public Health Intern
Outside of work, Teodora is an avid learner who regularly attends health conferences and engages with research literature to stay informed about emerging trends and innovations. In 2025, she participated in an AI Summer School in Paris, deepening her understanding of artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. For her, continuous learning is essential—not just for professional growth, but to ensure her work contributes meaningfully to real-world health challenges.
Laxmi Chaudhary
Public Health Intern
Laxmi proudly embraces her Tharu- indigenous identity. Outside of her academic and professional work, she enjoys travelling, storytelling, learning new languages and volunteering in formal and informal community networks.
As a public health intern at Alanda Health, Laxmi aims to contribute to ongoing projects through research and analysis. She is eager to strengthen her skills in research, scientific communication, team coordination and remote work in a diverse team. She believes that meaningful change is possible through continuous and consistent effort.
OUR ASSOCIATES
Dr. Joris Vandelanotte is a Medical Doctor and Specialist in Public Health Medicine with over 25 years’ experience in Sub-Saharan Africa in the fields of public health, health systems strengthening, primary health care, monitoring and evaluation and operational research. Joris started his career with Médecins sans Frontières in Kenya, Chad and Srebrenica, where he combined clinical practice with district health management and hospital and community infection control and disease outbreak responses (e.g. cholera).
He worked and lived for 20 years in Southern Africa, focusing on district health systems, control of communicable diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB, outbreak response), operational research and HIV prevention care and treatment projects. Joris works currently as an independent consultant, focusing on public health evaluations: Landscape analysis of neglected tropical diseases actors in multiple countries, several evaluations of multi-country learning networks (CQUIN, LabCoP, SSLN), workshops on the use of text analytics in evaluation, GIS training, and the development of a standardized ERU module for infection prevention and control.
Jami Johnson Darkoh is an international development expert with 16 years of experience working with multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, government, and the private sector across more than 25 countries. Her areas of expertise include health program management and oversight, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), capacity development, and communications.
Jami has consulted with numerous clients to improve health and development programs in low- and middle-income countries, including KPMG, UNAIDS, the Global Fund, Oxford Policy Management, the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and others. She has previously worked as the director of the UNAIDS-funded Technical Support Facility in East and Southern Africa, where she led the provision of technical assistance to HIV programs in 21 countries in the region. She has also worked as a public health and M&E specialist at the Global Fund in the areas of HIV, TB, and malaria, with a focus on West and Central Africa and the Middle East. Her experience includes programs funded by USAID, CDC, and the private sector while working with BroadReach, Mott MacDonald, and FHI 360.
Jami has extensive experience working with vulnerable populations, and has a particular interest in gender, equity, and social innovation. She has an MPH in Global Health Promotion, an MBA in Global Management, and a certificate in International Economic Relations.
Paola Gómez-Priego is a professional with 20+ years of experience building connections between diverse disciplines and stakeholders to address complex social challenges. Paola holds a PhD in sustainability science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), specializing in governance, collaborative planning, and social learning. She earned her master’s in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor’s in biology from UNAM. With extensive experience coordinating transdisciplinary projects, her professional work is guided by evidence-based decision-making, sustainability, and human rights principles.
Paola’s work centers on bridging the gap between science and action, facilitating informed and strategic decision-making processes, and strengthening collaborative governance. Throughout her career, she has developed effective practices to enhance stakeholder engagement and participation, promote social inclusion, and democratize information, while her expertise in developing and implementing capacity-building programs has supported both formal and non-formal training initiatives for sustainable development.
She has successfully led numerous multi-stakeholder projects funded by international agencies, governments, corporations, civil society organizations, and academic institutions by coordinating multidisciplinary teams across different locations. Additionally, Paola specializes in data analysis, modeling, and visualization, integrating diverse forms of knowledge to inform decision-making processes. Her experience includes developing and implementing robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks. She is an advocate for knowledge management and knowledge systems as tools for social learning, innovation, and accountability of sustainable development initiatives.
