Vera’s Global Health career spans over 20 years and includes multiple vantage points, having worked at academic institutions, nonprofits, donor organizations, and the private sector.
Having started her career in family planning, reproductive, and maternal health, she has been focused on strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries the last 10 years. Evidence-based programming has underpinned all of her work, where she excels at data analysis and literature reviews.
Vera leads implementation, strategy, and growth of Kaizen’s Global Health practice as its Technical Director. Previously, she led US Pharmacopeia’s expansion as Director for Global Business Development; led the Global Health practice at Deloitte Consulting – US as a subject matter expert for programs and proposals; and was a Global Health Fellow at USAID/Washington where she shaped USAID global health investments in Asia, including designing programs in maternal health, family planning/reproductive health, tuberculosis, urban health, and health systems strengthening in Central Asia, India, Myanmar, and regionally.
Vera is the first author of the first edition of the World Health Organization’s book, Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers. She has a Master of Health Science in International Health and Population Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.