Jessica Martini joined the OSE in March 2022, to help analyse the impact of the European Union on national health systems. She holds a PhD in public health sciences from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and has a multidisciplinary background in political science, development studies and global health. Her educational and professional pathway brought her to explore various contexts, notably in Europe and Africa. At the OSE, she is particularly involved in supporting the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/NIHDI). In this context, she conducts studies on healthcare policies in European countries and closely monitors developments in EU policies and law. The latter are notably summarised in the European Health Care Newsletter published by OSE and NIHDI every three months.
Before joining the OSE, Jessica worked at the ULB’s École de santé publique (School of public health), as both a researcher and a lecturer. She was extensively involved in policy research projects supporting the Belgian cooperation authorities with respect to the effectiveness of development policies. Her studies covered topics related to governance and non-communicable diseases, with a particular focus on engagement of patient associations and support to civil society. This research work involved the use of qualitative methods and of constructivist approaches to public policy analysis. From 2018 to 2022, she oversaw an advanced course on health system analysis, which aimed to build students’ capacity in health systems thinking, and in the study of health systems in different contexts (high, middle and low-income countries). In October 2022, Jessica was appointed a guest expert by the ULB School of public health, to supervise students’ Master’s theses. She is also involved in various doctoral supervisory committees.