Hanh La is the Director for Applied Research at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP), working to ensure the analytical rigor and evidence-base behind all of the center’s guidance. Her role includes developing research plans and assembling project teams for all major sponsored projects. Hanh works closely with CHIP’s director of knowledge management and marketing to ensure all applied research deliverables are adapted for public dissemination. As a member of CHIP’s senior team and adjunct faculty at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Public Health Initiatives, she also contributes to CHIP’s mission through her teaching and involvement in helping CHIP measure its own impact.
An epidemiologist with 15 years of public health experience in both academia and donor agencies, Hanh came to the School of Social Policy & Practice at Penn, most recently from the National University of Singapore, where she was a lecturer and senior research fellow. She has held numerous other faculty and consulting positions at several schools and organizations, including the World Health Organization, USAID, Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard School of Government, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Her core competencies include:
- Research expertise in HIV/AIDS, HFMD, and HPV; evaluation; and mixed methods
- Teaching experience on epidemiology, global health, and program evaluation
- Extensive work with development organizations including USAID, WHO, and CDC
- Extensive field experience in the US, Asia, and Africa
Hanh holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology, a Master of Health Science in Environmental Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, all from John Hopkins University.