Leesa Kuanhua Lin
Associate Professor
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Co-Director
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Biography
Dr. Leesa Lin is an internationally recognized expert in global health, specializing in risk communication, behavioral science, artificial intelligence (AI), and implementation science. She serves as an Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and as Co-Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project™, leading interdisciplinary teams that apply AI, machine learning, and advanced modeling techniques to enhance behavioral and social analytics, preparedness, and responses to global health threats.
With over a decade of experience, Dr. Lin has developed and implemented innovative research strategies and digital interventions addressing pressing public health challenges, including infectious disease outbreaks, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, women's health, and mental and behavioral health issues. Her work focuses on bridging gaps in public engagement, improving health literacy through evidence-based approaches, and reducing health disparities with culturally tailored, data-driven interventions.
Dr. Lin actively participates in major global health initiatives, serving as a member of the World Health Organization’s R&D Blueprint Social Science Research Working Group for COVID-19 Global R&D Preparedness. She also contributes as an expert panel member for the Global TB Caucus, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s (IHME) Global Burden of Disease projects, and WHO AI roundtables. Her research has been widely published in respected scientific journals, significantly influencing academic discussions and global health policies.
Dr. Lin earned her PhD in Implementation Science and Social Epidemiology, an ScM in Global Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a BA in Psychology and Asian Studies. Her interdisciplinary expertise enables her to effectively mentor and train global health professionals, providing them with the practical skills and analytical tools needed to address contemporary public health challenges in an interconnected, digitally driven world.