Ian Askew joined the Department of Reproductive Health and Research in January 2016 from the Population Council where he worked as Director of Reproductive Health Services and Research in Nairobi, Kenya. After joining the Population Council in 1990 as an associate in Senegal, he went on to become the Country Director for the Population Council office in Kenya in 2002 and the acting Country Director for Senegal between 2009 and 2012. During this time, Ian was closely involved in the Frontiers in Reproductive Health Operations Research Program (FRONTIERS) where he served as Associate Director from 1999 to 2006 and then as Director from 2006-2008.

Ian Askew has managed an international staff of over 70 professionals in 15 offices, primarily in developing countries, who undertake research, evaluation, technical assistance and utilization activities that increase access to sexual and reproductive health services for marginalized populations, reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, ensure that new technologies and procedures are responsive to people’s needs, and mobilize public-private partnerships to enhance the reach and efficiency of health systems.

Ian brings a wealth of experience of working with donors, governments, private-sector institutions, and NGOs in Africa, Asia and the Near East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. His role will be to provide leadership on matters critical to sexual and reproductive health by shaping the research agenda, and coordinating high-impact research; setting norms and standards; articulating an ethical and human-rights-based approach; and supporting research capacity in low-income settings.

Before joining the Population Council, Ian Askew was the Deputy Director of the Institute of Population Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, where he led the Institute’s capacity-building programme in applied population research and research on community participation. He has served on a number of technical advisory groups, steering committees, and review boards including expert group meetings of the World Health Organization on sexual and reproductive health and rights topics; he is currently a member of HRP’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Group.

Ian Askew has a PhD in sociology and reproductive health from the University of Exeter, and a master’s degree from York University in Canada. He has published widely and is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops around the world.