Dr Anna Thorson

Dr Anna Thorson is dedicated to advancing equitable access to research opportunities for health impact. As Head of TDR’s Research Capacity Strengthening Unit, Anna leads initiatives that builds research skills and capacity across health systems, communities, and civil society organizations, and includes research integrated development of expertise, mentoring for career progress and leadership.

Anna is affiliated Professor of Global Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and Honorary Professor at Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam. She is a licensed MD with a specialization in Infectious Disease Medicine from Karolinska University Hospital and holds a Diploma in “Pathologie et Epidemiologie Tropicales” from Universite Paris VII. She is MPH and PhD in Medicine/International Health. Her doctoral studies examined equity of access and delivery of Tuberculosis care in northern Vietnam, and her post-doc involved a trial advancing adherence to HIV care in rural Vietnam. 

With over 25 years in global health, Anna has led international research partnerships on HIV and Tuberculosis, epidemics and outbreaks (Avian influenza, COVID-19, Ebola, and Zika), spanning clinical, epidemiological, and implementation/effectiveness research. She has pioneered digital methods to integrate gender and equity in infectious disease research in vulnerable populations, supervised over 15 PhD students, and developed innovative postgraduate courses in international collaborations. She has led global health and clinical training with partners in Cuba, Ethiopia and Kerala, India. Anna has served as an expert advisor to national and international organizations, including the Global Fund.

Before joining TDR, Anna led the Research Leadership and Capacity Strengthening Unit at HRP, WHO, where she established the HRP Alliance for research capacity strengthening and advanced research integrated capacity building and guidelines targeting outbreaks and epidemics related to sexual and reproductive health.