Maryam Tavakkoli

I hold an MSc in Health Economics and a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health. My research centers on traumatic injuries -with a specific focus on road traffic safety- , health information systems, and mortality surveillance systems, areas in which I apply interdisciplinary and systems-based approaches to address complex public health challenges.

My work combines data analysis with stakeholder engagement to inform policy and improve system performance for better health outcomes. I have led and contributed to initiatives exploring the application of systems thinking to strengthen public health interventions and outcomes with focus on Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC).

This includes examining the road and transport system as an integrated whole, considering the interactions between infrastructure, policy, behavior, and governance. I also work on the development of integrated road traffic data systems that enable more effective, evidence-based decision-making. This systems-oriented perspective helps to identify key leverage points for more sustainable and impactful interventions.

A substantial part of my work is dedicated to improving mortality statistics, with a particular emphasis on the accuracy and completeness of cause-of-death data. I collaborate closely with International organizations, government institutions, health professionals, and civil society stakeholders to strengthen health information systems and build local capacity for the production and use of vital statistics.

Tavakkoli M, Takian A, Mohammadi M, Heidari H, Kouchakinejad-Eramsadati L, Yousefzade-Chabok S, de Savigny D, Fink G, Künzli N, Cobos Muñoz D. Assessing the design of road traffic death information systems in Iran: a participatory systems approach. Int J Med Inform. 2023;172:105005. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105005

Sant Fruchtman C, Fischer F.B, Monzón Llamas L, Tavakkoli M, Cobos Muñoz D, Antillón M. Did COVID-19 policies have the same effect on COVID-19 incidence among women and men? Evidence from Spain and Switzerland. Int J Public Health. 2022;67:1604994. DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604994

Tavakkoli M, Karim A, Fischer F.B, Monzon Llamas L, Raoofi A, Zafar S, Sant Fruchtman C, de Savigny D, Takian A, Antillón M, Cobos Muñoz D. From public health policy to impact for COVID-19: a multi-country case study in Switzerland, Spain, Iran and Pakistan. Int J Public Health. 2022;67:1604969. DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604969

Tavakkoli M, Torkashvand-Khah Z, Fink G, Takian A, Künzli N, de Savigny D, Cobos Muñoz D. Evidence from the decade of action for road safety: a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions in low and middle-income countries. Public Health Rev. 2022;43:1604499. DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604499

Homaie Rad E, Khodadady-Hasankiadeh N, Kouchakinejad-Eramsadati L, Javadi F, Haghdoost Z, Hosseinpour M, Tavakkoli M, Davoudi-Kiakalayeh A, Mohtasham-Amiri Z, Yousefzadeh-Chabok S. The relationship between weight indices and injuries and mortalities caused by the motor vehicle accidents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Inj Violence Res. 2020;12(1):85-101. DOI: 10.5249/jivr.v12i1.1198