Dr Yussif Alhassan

Biography

Yussif Alhassan has an academic background that spans sociology, psychology, and international development, with degrees from the University of Ghana, the London School of Economics, and the University of Glasgow, culminating in a PhD in Social Science specialising in community health financing. Before transitioning into academia, he worked with government and non-governmental organisations on reproductive health interventions, health financing advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation of water and sanitation programmes across sub-Saharan Africa.

With more than a decade of experience leading social science components in large-scale global health projects, his work focuses on maternal health, HIV in pregnancy, community health systems strengthening, and the intersections of gender, masculinity, and health. Yussif employs participatory and theory-driven methodologies, including realist evaluation, to explore syndemics in vulnerable populations and improve health interventions. His research contributions include the DOLPHIN trials on antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy, the C-it DU-it study on maternal health system strengthening in Kenya, and the TRACS-Liverpool project on antimicrobial resistance transmission in care settings.

Beyond research, Yussif is dedicated to mentorship and capacity-building, supporting early-career researchers in qualitative methods and interdisciplinary public health research. He also co-chairs the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (SLSTM) BAME staff network and serve on the LSTM Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, advocating for inclusive research environments.

Research interests

Yussif’s research interests lie at the intersection of public health, social science, and health systems research. His key areas of focus include maternal health and HIV in pregnancy, gender, masculinity and health, community health systems strengthening, implementation science, antimicrobial resistance and health systems, and health equity and inclusion.

Teaching

Yussif plays an active role in teaching and learning at LSTM, contributing to postgraduate study programmes in global health, including Research Methods in Global Health, Public Health in Practice, and Advanced Clinical Management in HIV-Endemic Settings. He also supervises master’s and PhD students researching maternal health, HIV, and health systems strengthening.

Selected research publications

Stakeholder communication and client understanding of viral load suppression in Blantyre, Malawi—What role did U = U play before the flip the script campaign? – Journal: PLoS ONE – Published: 8th December 2025

Health system drivers of antimicrobial resistance: a qualitative exploration of implications for infection prevention and control in hospitals and long-term care facilities in Merseyside – Journal: Journal of Hospital Infection – Published: 21st October 2025

Missed opportunities for digital health data use in healthcare decision-making: A cross-sectional digital health landscape assessment in Homa Bay county, Kenya – Journal: PLOS Digital Health – Published: 13th June 2025

Clinical, pharmacological, and qualitative characterization of drug–drug interactions in pregnant women initiating HIV therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa – Journal: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy – Published: 13th July 2024

Exploring acceptability, opportunities, and challenges of community-based home pregnancy testing for early antenatal care initiation in rural Kenya – Journal: BMC Public Health – Published: 29th June 2024

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