Biography
Heidi Larson, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Health Metrics Sciences and Director of European Initiatives at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Based in London, she is building IHME’s presence in the region through new research projects, dissemination and uptake of IHME’s methods and results, and consultation with regional leaders in population health. She also provides strategic consultation to IHME’s Director and Executive Team.
Dr. Larson currently serves as Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, where she leads the Vaccine Confidence Project, conducting research and mapping issues around public trust in vaccines globally. She previously headed Global Communication for Immunization at UNICEF and chaired the Advocacy Task Force for Gavi. Her research specializes in the analysis and evaluation of health and development programs with particular attention to social and political factors that can affect policies and programs. Her particular focus is on risk and rumor management in health programs and technologies, especially vaccines – from clinical trials to delivery – and building public trust.
Dr. Larson earned her PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University.
IHME was founded in 2007 at the University of Washington to deliver to the world timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice.
Haeuser E, Serfes AL, Cork MA, et al. Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018. BMC Medicine. 19 December 2022. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02639-z.
Larson HJ, Gakidou E, Murray CJL. The vaccine-hesitant moment. New England Journal of Medicine. 29 June 2022. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2106441.
Larson JH, Lin L, Goble R. Vaccines and the social amplification of risk. Risk Analysis. 14 May 2022. doi: 10.1111/risa.13942.
Wiens KE, Schaeffer LE, Sow SO, et al. Oral rehydration therapies in Senegal, Mali, and Sierra Leone: a spatial analysis of changes over time and implications for policy. BMC Medicine. 21 December 2020. doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01857-7.
Local Burden of Disease Vaccine Coverage Collaborators. Mapping routine measles vaccination in low- and middle-income countries. Nature. 16 December 2020. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-03043-4.
de Figueiredo A, Simas C, Karafillakis E, Paterson P, Larson HJ. Mapping global trends in vaccine confidence and investigating barriers to vaccine uptake: a large-scale retrospective temporal modelling study. The Lancet. 10 September 2020. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31558-0.
GBD 2017 Child and Adolescent Health Collaborators. Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in Child and Adolescent Health, 1990 to 2017. JAMA Pediatrics. 29 April 2019. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0337.
Mosser JF, Gagne-Maynard W, Rao PC, et al. Mapping diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine coverage in Africa, 2000–2016: a spatial and temporal modelling study. The Lancet. 5 April 2019. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30226-0.
GBD 2017 Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018;392:1684-735. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31891-9.
GBD 2017 Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018;392:1736-88. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32203-7.
GBD 2017 SDG Collaborators. Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018; 392:2091–138. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32281-5.
Steel N, Ford JA, Newton JN, et al. Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 24 Oct 2018. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/.
GBD 2016 Injury Collaborators. Global Mortality From Firearms, 1990-2016. JAMA. 28 Aug 2018; 320(8):792-814. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.10060.
GBD 2016 Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, and national under-5 mortality, adult mortality, age-specific mortality, and life expectancy, 1970–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390;1084–1150.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of vision loss in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Danger ahead: the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors 3 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Adolescent health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2005–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of cardiovascular diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of diarrhea in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Trends in HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality in Eastern Mediterannean countries, 1990-2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Intentional injuries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of lower respiratory infections in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Maternal mortality and morbidity burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. The burden of mental disorders in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2015: findings from the global burden of disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Transport injuries and deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality and morbidity burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Collaborators. Burden of obesity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health. 7 Aug 2017.
The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators. Health effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years. New England Journal of Medicine. 12 Jun 2017. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1614362
GBD 2015 Healthcare Access and Quality Collaborators. Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal healthcare in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. The Lancet. 2017 May 18.
The Global Burden of Disease Child and Adolescent Health Collaboration. Child and adolescent health from 1990 to 2015: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 Study. JAMA Pediatrics. 2017;171(6):1-21. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0250.
Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration. Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years for 32 cancer groups, 1990 to 2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study. JAMA Oncology. 2016 Dec 3. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.5688.
GBD 2015 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1659–1724.
GBD 2015 Maternal Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, and national levels of maternal mortality, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1775–1812.
GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1459–1544.
GBD 2015 Child Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1725–1774.
Lim SS, Allen K, Bhutta ZA, et al. Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Sep 21. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31467-2.
Wang H, Wolock TM, Carter A, et al. Estimates of global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and mortality of HIV, 1980–2015: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet HIV. 2016 Jul 19. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3018(16)30087-X.
Kyu HH, Pinho C, Wagner JA, et al. Global and national burden of diseases and injuries among children and adolescents between 1990 and 2013: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 study. JAMA Pediatrics. 2015 Jan 25. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.4276.
Newton JN, Briggs ADM, Murray CJL, et al. Changes in health in England, with analysis by English regions and areas of deprivation, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2015 Sep 15. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00195-6.
Forouzanfar MH, Alexander L, Anderson HR, et al. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2015 Sep 11. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61455-6.
Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2015 June 8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60692-4.
Naghavi M, Wang H, Lozano R, et al. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2014 Dec 17. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2.
Murray CJL, Ortblad KF, Guinovart C, et al. Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2014 July 23. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60844-8.