Professor Barbara McPake is a health economist specialising in health policy and health systems research. She has 20 years experience in these areas based in three UK university departments. She is currently Director, Institute for International Development and Programme Director of the Health Systems Development Knowledge Programme of the UK Department for International Development. She has recently moved to IIHD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has extensive research degree supervision and other postgraduate teaching experience, wide experience in Eastern and Southern Africa and some experience of other developing regions and the UK National Health Service. In addition she worked for one year as research administrator for a UN organisation.