Our Team – Emerging Health Initiatives

Dr. Justinian Ngaiza M.D., MsC., Ph.D

Co-Founder
jngaiza@emerginghealthinitiatives.org

Dr. Justinian Ngaiza is a Hematologist/Oncologist who practices and serves as the Medical Director of the division of Oncology and Hematology at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland, USA. He acquired his MD degree from the University of Dar-es-salaam in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. His medical career has spanned both communicable and chronic diseases. After working as a clinician in Tanga and in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Dr. Ngaiza earned an MSc and a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research in basic vascular biology and cancer metastasis, together with the foundation afforded by his clinical training in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology are testament to his in-depth appreciation of chronic illnesses.

Jean Rutabanzibwa-Ngaiza BSc., MSc., MA, PhD

Co-Founder
jeanrose@emerginghealthinitiatives.org

Dr. Rutabanzibwa-Ngaiza is a social scientist who has worked in the public health field for over 30 years. After obtaining her Masters in Medical Demography from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), she worked as a planning officer with the Ministry of Health in Tanzania in the early 1980’s. She was one of the key figures involved in the first comprehensive evaluation of Tanzania’s health care system at the time. Her particular focus on maternal and child health then led to her pursuit of a doctorate, from LSHTM, in Health Policy and Planning. Her thesis, based on field study in rural Swaziland, examined women’s participation in primary health care. She applied this knowledge in subsequent consultancies with UNICEF in New York and the World Bank in Washington DC where she worked on various programs and projects covering public health and gender issues in Mozambique, Uganda, South Africa, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and others. While working in these respective countries, she realized that discussions held with the various parties would often be contentious enough to not result in the overall improvement of the health of the populations being studied. Because of this, she concluded that an added skill was required and this led to her recently re-tooling and acquiring a Master of Science in Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University in the US.

Sobhan Mathew, M.D.

Board Member

Dr. Mathew’s love for Africa is as deep as the fabric of his being. He was raised in Africa by his mother, a doctor in a medical mission during Nigeria’s civil war, and father, who taught health sciences and preventative health. As a young child Dr. Mathew travelled extensively in and outside of Africa. His love for human rights and justice led to an involvement in activism in medical school against a corrupt regime. He graduated from the premier medical school in Nigeria (University of Ibadan), and continued to work in a small town with few resources, huge demand and very little compensation. This experience forever changed the way he has practiced medicine, even in the richest nation on earth. His private practice in primary care medicine involves treating a wide variety of preventable diseases with an emphasis on prevention. He has been involved in community service in the Washington D.C area including helping start a mentorship program for troubled inner city youths and running marathons to raise money for kids and educational programs in East Africa. Dr. Mathew is involved in an alumni organization involved in building back the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He received a Post doctoral research fellowship from Cornell University in neuroendocrinology and has been a member of the American College of Physicians for many years. He feels supremely ready to get this party started in Tanzania!

Natasha Ngaiza & David Miranda Hardy, M.F.A

Website Managers

Natasha and David both teach in the Film and Media Culture department at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. They have been married for six years and enjoy collaborating on projects, including co-parenting their young daughters.

Before pursuing her M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts, Natasha Ngaiza worked as a fundraiser and fundraising manager for non-profit organizations in Washington D.C.– including CARE international, Mercy Corps and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Natasha has written and directed 3 short films which have screened at international festivals, a series on The Huffington Post and Aspire TV.

David is a Chilean filmmaker and sound designer, with an MFA in Film from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he resided for 5 years with a Fulbright Scholarship. David has taught Sound for Film, Screenwriting and Directing in Chile, Cuba (EICTV) and in the USA. Besides working as an Assistant Professor at Middlebury College, David is also the head of the Contents Department at Filmosonido Chile, where he was the show-runner for Bala Loca (Stray Bullet, 2016), a 10-episode miniseries broadcast by Turner-owned Chilevision. The show was nominated for a Best Series at the Platino Awards 2017 and is now distributed by Netflix.

Karina Ngaiza, M.A.

Social Media Manager

Karina has a Master’s degree in Health Communication and specializes in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of health messages. She currently works as Sickle Cell Disease Policy & Programs Coordinator at the American Society of Hematology in Washington D.C. and is passionate about the integration of health and technology, new and old media. And above all, helping people live healthier lives.

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