Summary
Niki is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation, bringing expertise in global health and international development. She works across research and policy projects encompassing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and/or multiple country health systems, and provides health system expertise globally, including in the EMEA, Americas, and Asia Pacific regions.
Niki has worked extensively with governments and policymakers in the United Kingdom and various countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to develop policy, technical capacity, and expertise across several areas of health and healthcare. She has published on topics such as digital health (including remote care, artificial intelligence, health data, and cybersecurity), patient safety, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and priority setting, global surgery, and donor priorities and financing.
Prior to joining Imperial College London, Niki taught two Global Health BSc modules at Queen Mary University of London. She holds an MSc in Health Systems and Global Policy from Queen Mary University London and a BA in History/History of Art (Joint Hons) from University of Glasgow.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Neves AL, van Dael J, O'Brien N, et al., 2024, Use and impact of virtual primary care on quality and safety: The public's perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, Vol:30, ISSN:1357-633X, Pages:393-401
Niki O, Saira G, Arvind S, et al., 2022, Cyber-attacks are a permanent and substantial threat to health systems: Education must reflect that, Digital Health, Vol:8, ISSN:2055-2076, Pages:205520762211046-205520762211046
O'Brien N, Shaw A, Flott K, et al., 2022, Safety in fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings: An evidence scanning approach for identifying patient safety interventions, Journal of Global Health, Vol:12, ISSN:2047-2978, Pages:1-10
O'Brien N, Flott K, Bray O, et al., 2022, Implementation of initiatives designed to improve healthcare worker health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparative case studies from 13 healthcare provider organisations globally, Globalization and Health, Vol:18, ISSN:1744-8603
O'Brien N, Durkin M, Lachman P, 2021, Lessons post-COVID from national and international approaches to safety and quality in healthcare, Future Healthcare Journal, Vol:8, ISSN:2514-6645, Pages:e602-e608
O’Brien N, Ghafur S, Durkin M, 2021, Cybersecurity in health is an urgent patient safety concern: We can learn from existing patient safety improvement strategies to address it, Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, Vol:26, ISSN:2516-0435, Pages:5-10
O'Brien N, Grass E, Martin G, et al., 2021, Developing a globally applicable cybersecurity framework for healthcare: a Delphi consensus study, Bmj Innovations, Vol:7, ISSN:2055-8074, Pages:199-207
Uzochukwu BSC, Okeke C, O'Brien N, et al., 2020, Health technology assessment and priority setting for universal health coverage: a qualitative study of stakeholders' capacity, needs, policy areas of demand and perspectives in Nigeria., Global Health, Vol:16
O'Brien N, Li R, Isaranuwatchai W, et al., 2020, How can we make better health decisions a Best Buy for all? [version2; peer review: 3 approved], Gates Open Research, Vol:3, ISSN:2572-4754, Pages:1543-1543
Reports
O'Brien N, van Dael J, Clarke J, et al., 2022, Addressing racial and ethnic inequities in data-driven health technologies, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London
O'Brien N, Martin G, Grass E, et al., 2020, Safeguarding our healthcare systems: A global framework for cybersecurity, World Innovation Summit for Health