2024 GBD Emerging Researcher Award winners recognized for advancing global health research
Published September 4, 2024
IHME announced today Dr. Mirza Balaj and Dr. Mahdi Safdarian as the winners of the 2024 GBD Emerging Researcher Award. This year, IHME recognizes two outstanding professionals whose innovative contributions to global health will help change the trajectory of the health loss across highly impacted populations.
Established in 2020, the award supports emerging global health researchers to carry out innovative research to improve the measurement and knowledge about burden of disease in populations.
Dr. Mirza Balaj
Dr. Mirza Balaj’s work has led to major scientific progress in our understanding of the socioeconomic drivers of health and longevity. Notably, her work has changed the global discourse on the health benefits of education. Holding a PhD in sociology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr. Balaj currently serves as the scientific coordinator of CHAIN, a key partner of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), and a leading center for the study of socioeconomic health inequalities.
Her leadership in global studies on parental education, child mortality, and adult mortality has advanced understanding of the social determinants of health and paved the way for the inclusion of low education as a risk factor in the GBD study.
Dr. Balaj's comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses have set new standards in the field, demonstrating the health-protective value of education. Her work has been widely recognized, appearing in major news outlets and influencing global health policies. She is also a frequently invited keynote speaker in events organized by UN, WHO, the European Commission, and by the Global Burden of Disease network.
Dr. Balaj’s dedication to promoting gender equality and education, including in her native Albania, further highlights her commitment to public health and social justice. Her leadership and contributions to burden of disease research make her a truly deserving recipient of this year’s GBD Emerging Researcher Award.
Dr. Mahdi Safdarian
Dr. Mahdi Safdarian is a PhD candidate and research fellow at the Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Medical Center at the University Hospital of Salzburg. Honored for his exceptional contributions to the study of spinal cord injuries, Dr. Safdarian's dedication and innovative use of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) findings have made a substantial impact on understanding these conditions.
Dr. Safdarian's research career began as a medical student and research assistant at Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran, Iran. His systematic review on complications of acoustic neuroma surgery and his extensive work with the GBD collaboration, contributing to around 40 publications, highlight his commitment and expertise. In 2020, Dr. Safdarian was accepted for a fully funded PhD from the University of Salzburg to develop a database for spinal cord injury patients in Salzburg, Austria.
In 2023, Dr. Safdarian was first author of the groundbreaking paper, "Global, regional, and national burden of spinal cord injury, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019," published in The Lancet Neurology. This comprehensive study, a collaboration of approximately 200 researchers, provides a global atlas of spinal cord injury and offers critical insights for optimizing care strategies worldwide.
Dr. Safdarian’s research and clinical experience, along with his leadership roles, highlight his exceptional talent and dedication to public health.
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners
We congratulate Drs. Balaj and Safdarian for their outstanding contributions to global health research. Their work exemplifies the impact and potential of early-career researchers in advancing our understanding of disease burden and health inequalities.
Do you know an early-career professional who has contributed to innovative burden of disease research? Nominate them for the 2025 GBD Emerging Researcher Award.
For more information and nomination details, please visit GBD Emerging Researcher Award.