Who we are
A global network being built at the intersection of implementation science and data science, deliberately anchored in implementation science so it remains relevant across technology generations.
Anchored in implementation, powered by data
Data science, including AI and machine learning applied to health systems, is transforming what is possible in health research. But technologies change; the challenge of getting evidence into practice endures. NEXUS is established at the intersection of the two fields, anchored deliberately in implementation science so that the network remains relevant no matter how the technology moves.
“The network anchors in implementation science, not in a specific AI technology, and therefore remains relevant as the technology moves.”
The network launches through a 12-month international research priority-setting exercise (eDelphi), culminating in its first Global Research Agenda. The exercise doubles as the network's launch: Delphi panellists may become the founding membership, and the founding General Assembly ratifies both the agenda and the initial governance structure.
Founding commitments
- Open agenda-setting: the first Delphi round is open item generation, with no pre-specified domains and pre-registered methods (OSF).
- Geographic equity: at least 30% of the expert panel from low- and middle-income countries, across six or more WHO regions.
- Multilingual by default: core activities and outputs in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
- Early-career leadership: every working group co-chaired by an early-career and a senior investigator.
- Community voice: lived-experience representation on the Executive Committee, not in an advisory silo.
Five pillars for the first three years
The network's strategic plan is organised around five pillars with measurable three-year commitments, reviewed annually by the General Assembly.
1. Scientific agenda
Produce and maintain the Global Research Agenda, publish the consensus methodology and results in a leading journal, and commission working-group-led research outputs.
2. Equity & representation
Minimum LMIC representation across all leadership tiers, LMIC lead authorship on the consensus paper, translation of all core outputs, and community representation in governance.
3. Capability building
An annual methods school attached to the General Assembly, and targeted mentorship pairing senior network members with early-career LMIC researchers.
4. Partnerships & influence
Formal partnerships with scientific societies, multilateral agencies, and major funders, working toward the network's priorities shaping funder agendas and global health policy.
5. Sustainability
A durable institutional hosting arrangement and a mixed funding model, with full fee waivers for LMIC and community-based members.
How the network is organized
NEXUS uses a tiered membership structure with an annual General Assembly, designed so that geographic equity, early-career participation, and community voices are embedded in the network's architecture from the start.
Executive Committee
Led by the co-chairs, with members selected for disciplinary breadth (implementation science, data science, AI ethics, health systems, community voice) and geographic balance. Holds final decisions on the research agenda, working groups, and partnerships. The full committee is listed below.
Country & partner leads
Named leads for each participating country and formal institutional partner, giving geographic and institutional channels equal governance weight. The first cohort will be announced at the public launch.
Working groups & members
Research working groups form around the consensus priority domains from the Delphi. Open membership is free during the founding year; every member attaches to at least one working group.
The annual General Assembly receives the co-chairs' report, ratifies strategic priorities, elects open leadership positions, and hosts the network's scientific programme.
Co-chairs
The co-chairs hold the network's strategic direction, represent it externally, and chair the Executive Committee. Click a card to read the bio.
Natalie Taylor
Natalie Taylor
Health psychologist and implementation scientist at the UNSW School of Population Health, where she directs Implementation to Impact (i2i) and serves as Director of Research. Her program develops and applies methods for translating evidence into practice, from precision oncology to newborn screening.
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Guillaume Fontaine
Guillaume Fontaine
Canada Research Chair in Implementation Science for Health Systems Transformation and Assistant Professor at McGill University, where he directs the RISE³ Implementation Science Lab. His research spans implementation science, infectious disease prevention and care, knowledge synthesis for complex interventions, meta-research, and AI in implementation science.
View profile ↗Executive Committee
Chaired by the co-chairs, the Executive Committee brings together implementation scientists, data scientists, health economists, and health systems researchers from across WHO regions. Click a card to read the bio.
Janna Hastings
Janna Hastings
AI researcher specializing in medical knowledge and decision support, combining ontologies and knowledge-based systems with machine learning and large language models. She helped build the AI-driven knowledge system of UCL's Human Behaviour-Change Project and led development of the ChEBI ontology at the European Bioinformatics Institute.
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Susan Michie
Susan Michie
Professor of Health Psychology, Director of the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, and Co-Director of Behavioural Research UK. Creator of the Behaviour Change Wheel, her research applies behavioural science theory and evidence to intervention and policy design, evaluation, and implementation.
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Fabiana Lorencatto
Fabiana Lorencatto
Behavioural scientist, health services researcher, and Research Lead of the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change. A mixed-methods researcher, she applies behavioural theory and frameworks to understand what influences clinical practice and to co-design implementation interventions.
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Rinad Beidas
Rinad Beidas
Chair and Ralph Seal Paffenbarger Professor of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. Her research combines implementation science and behavioral economics to help clinicians and health systems adopt best practices, across mental health, cancer, HIV, and cardiovascular care.
View profile ↗Fadi El-Jardali
Fadi El-Jardali
Professor of Health Policy and Systems at the American University of Beirut, founder and director of the Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, and director of a WHO Collaborating Center for Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice. His work spans knowledge translation, governance, and health system quality and safety.
View profile ↗Agnes Kiragga
Agnes Kiragga
Biostatistician and Research Scientist leading the Data Science Program at the African Population and Health Research Center in Nairobi. She heads the INSPIRE network of longitudinal population cohorts across eight African countries, advancing responsible data science and AI for health decision-making in Africa.
View profile ↗Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende
Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende
Computer scientist, head of the Makerere Artificial Intelligence Lab, and leader of Makerere University's AI and Data Science Centre. Her research spans machine learning and natural language processing for societal good, with a focus on building African data science research capacity.
View profile ↗Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai
Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai
Health economist and Senior Researcher at Thailand's Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Her work applies economic evaluation and health technology assessment to real-world policy, with particular interest in person-level and big data.
View profile ↗Ashrita Saran
Ashrita Saran
Director of the Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis Programme at the Global Development Network and former Executive Director of Campbell South Asia. Her work spans systematic reviews, evidence and gap maps, and economic evaluations across disability inclusion, climate, and child well-being.
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Dong (Roman) Xu
Dong (Roman) Xu
Professor of Global Health and Health Systems, Executive Deputy Director of the SMU Institute for Global Health, and PI of the Acacia Lab for Implementation Science. Co-Editor-in-Chief of Implementation Science Communications, he studies health system innovation, primary care quality, and eHealth.
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Yangqiu Song
Yangqiu Song
Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at HKUST, working on natural language processing, knowledge graphs, and commonsense reasoning with large language models. His group built ASER, a large-scale eventuality knowledge graph extracted from over eleven billion tokens of text.
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Craig Lockwood
Craig Lockwood
Associate Professor and Director of Implementation Science at JBI, University of Adelaide, leading JBI's education, methods, and methodology for evidence implementation. His research covers qualitative synthesis, evidence implementation in policy and practice, and models of health service delivery.
View profile ↗Further appointments, including community and lived-experience representatives, will be announced as the founding phase progresses.
Help set the agenda
The Global Research Agenda will be built by the community that joins now. Register your interest in the Delphi panel or founding membership.
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