Sheila Isanaka

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Biography

Sheila Isanaka conducts large-scale epidemiological studies in complex settings, using both observational and randomized designs, to inform practice and policy in global nutrition. Her research is intentionally developed with and for practitioners and policy makers and aims to bring the best in study design and data analysis to challenging settings. This approach delivers the most solid scientific evidence possible to the most appropriate audience and assures that findings can be translated to shape programs, policy, and research.

Since 2007, Sheila's work has focused on the study of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), informing practice around diagnosis, estimation, treatment and prevention. Over 52 million children worldwide suffer from acute malnutrition, with 875,000 deaths in children < 5 years annually attributable to this condition. Her work also spreads more widely across disciplines to explore the interaction between malnutrition and infectious disease and the role of maternal nutrition in child health and development.

Publications

• Gestational weight gain and maternal immediate perinatal and postpartum outcomes in low and middle income countries: individual participant data meta-analyses.

  Partap U, Costa JC, Liu E, Cliffer IR, Wang D, Wang M, Nookala SK, Subramoney V, Briggs B, Ibraheem Abioye A, Accrombessi M, Adu-Afarwuah S, Ahmed S, Akurut H, Ali H, Ali A, Alves JG, Andra T, de Araújo CAL, Argaw A, Arifeen S, Artes R, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Azizi F, Banda B, Bawah AT, Bhandari N, Bhutta ZA, Briand V, Calvo EB, Cardoso MA, de Castro MC, Cecatti JG, Chico-Barba G, Chowdhury R, Christian P, Collins S, Costello A, Dewey KG, Divala TH, Dombrowski JG, Drehmer M, Duggan CP, Dwarkanath P, Elliott AM, Enkhmaa D, Erchick D, Estrada-Gutierrez G, Fair FJ, Friis H, Fritz J, Gandevani SB, Ganmaa D, García-Guerra A, Gernand AD, Gomo E, Gondwe A, González-Ludlow I, Grais R, Guindo O, Hallamaa L, Hamer DH, Hanley-Cook G, Hien A, Huybregts L, Isanaka S, Jehan F, Kac G, Kajubi R, Kakuru A, Kasaro MP, Katz J, Khatry SK, Krebs NF, Kumar P, Kurpad AV, Lachat C, Lama TP, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Lanou H, Lartey A, Laufer MK, Loy SL, Lipoeto NI, López LB, Luzia LA, Mahmud A, Maiya GA, Maleta K, Manandhar DS, Manary MJ, Mangani C, Marinho CRF, Martínez-Rojano H, Matias SL, Matijasevich A, McClure EM, Mengue SS, Miller JD, Moore SE, Mohamad M, Jan Mohamed HJ, Mridha MK, Mugusi FM, Muhammad A, Muhihi A, Muñoz-Rocha TV, Mutale W, Neufeld LM, Nguyen PH, Nunes MAA, Ome-Kaius M, Osrin D, Patson N, Pembe AB, Perichart-Perera O, Peterson KE, Premji Z, Prentice AM, Quezada-Sánchez AD, Rahman N, Ramachandra P, Ramakrishnan U, Rizvi A, Roberfroid D, Rodrigues PL, Rogerson SJ, Rondó PH, Roth DE, Sámano R, Saville NM, Schmidt MI, Semrau KE, Shafiq Y, Shaikh S, Shrestha BP, Da Silva JR, Soltani H, Soofi S, Martorano RM, Souza RT, Stein DJ, Stringer JS, Sudfeld CR, Taneja S, Tehrani FR, Thomas T, Tielsch JM, Toe LC, Unger HW, Urassa W, Vaz JDS, Victor A, Webb EL, West KP, Widen E, Workman L, Wright RO, Wu LSF, Young SL, Zar H, Zeng L, Fawzi WW. BMJ Med 2026

  PMID: 42445525

• Salmonella bloodstream infection and concurrent intestinal colonization in children with severe acute malnutrition in Niger.

  Sands K, Campillo R, Boostrom I, Lai G, Lankapalli AK, Cook K, Hassan B, Portal EA, Li M, Jones LS, Ibrahim TE, Kalla I, Sayinzonga-Makombe N, Isanaka S, Kanapathipillai R, Mambula C, Mouniaman I, Langendorf C, Walsh TR, Spiller OB. Microb Genom 2026

  PMID: 42475138

• Performance of a Pediatric Early Warning Score Among Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition.

  Andersen CT, Rattigan SM, Langendorf C, Garba S, Guindo O, Sayinzonga-Makombe N, Mambula C, Mouniaman-Nara I, Hanson KE, Grais RF, Isanaka S. Pediatrics 2026 Jul 01

  PMID: 42297370

• Maternal Health and Sociodemographic Characteristics Influence Infant Growth to 24 Months in the Tunza Mwana Cohort: A Prospective Cohort Study.

  Hendrixson DT, Tiwari R, James P, Bhutta ZA, Briend A, Isanaka S, Khara T, Lelijveld N, Manary MJ, Mertens A, Moore SE, O'Brien KS, Wells J, Lihanda P, Ochola E, Aldrovandi G, Singa BO, McGrath CJ. Matern Child Nutr 2026

  PMID: 42136131

• Impact of a Prenatal Nutrition Package with Balanced Energy Supplementation on Gestational Weight Gain in Amhara, Ethiopia.

  Kang Y, Workneh F, Yibeltal K, Fasil N, Baye E, Tsegaye S, Kidane WT, Berhane YY, Van Dyk F, North K, Chan GJ, Isanaka S, Molina RL, Tadesse AW, Perumal N, Mullany LC, Worku A, Wylie BJ, Christian P, Berhane Y, Lee AC. J Nutr 2026

  PMID: 42251898