Tazeen Hasan Jafar
Professor, Health Services and Systems Research Signature Research Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School
Other Affiliations:
Chair of Global Health Partnerships, International Society for Hypertension
Visiting Consultant Renal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital
Visiting Professor of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Pakistan
Research Professor, Duke Global Health Institute, USA
Professor Tazeen H. Jafar is a distinguished physician scientist and global health leader with a tenured position in the Program in Health Services and Systems Research at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. Her expertise extends globally, with key roles as a Visiting Consultant Renal Medicine at Singapore General Hospital, a Visiting Professor of Medicine at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, and a Consultant Nephrologist at Durham VA Healthcare System. Simultaneously, she holds a Professorship at Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, in Durham, NC, USA.
Dr. Jafar's academic journey began at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, where she completed medical school. Following this, she pursued a residency in Medicine-Pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, achieving dual board certification. Subsequently, she completed a fellowship in clinical nephrology, earning board certification in Nephrology, and clinical research at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Additionally, she holds a master's in public health from Harvard University.
With a career spanning over 25 years, Professor Jafar is recognized for her pioneering research in chronic non-communicable diseases in global health settings. Serving as the chief principal investigator and executive director of the COBRA-BPS trial, conducted across Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, her work published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated the effectiveness of a community health worker-led intervention in controlling blood pressure. This landmark study has significant implications for scalability and affordability in low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Jafar also directs the SingHypertension and SKOPE trials in Singapore, focusing on enhancing hypertension and kidney disease care. She is leading feasibility studies to evaluate adaptation of similar approaches in rural North Carolina.
Recognized for her impactful contributions, Professor Jafar received the 2012 Boehringer Ingelheim Developing World Award from the International Society of Hypertension. As a dedicated mentor, she guides numerous trainees, including MD, MS, and Ph.D. students.
She serves on the editorial board on prestigious scientific journals. She regularly participates in policy forums addressing non-communicable diseases, collaborating with organizations like the WHO and local governments in South Asia. Serving as the deputy chair of the UK-MRC Applied Global Health Research Board, Professor Jafar continues to contribute significantly to the advancement of global health.
Despite her extensive research commitments, Professor Jafar maintains an active clinical practice as a nephrologist, exemplifying her commitment to bridging the gap between research and patient care. Her multifaceted roles and global impact underscore her position as a leader in the field, driving transformative change in healthcare and research.
Research Interests
Using rigorous implementation science methodologies and framework, designing, evaluating, and scaling-up models of care for prevention and management of vascular disease (including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular, and kidney disease) that are of high significance to clinical practice and relevance to public health and policy.
Research Team
 | Feng Liang
Principal Research Scientist
liang.feng@duke-nus.edu.sg |
 | Loraine Seng
Research Fellow
loraine.seng@duke-nus.edu.sg |
 | Rupesh Madhukar Shirore
Research Associate
rupesh.shirore@duke-nus.edu.sg |
 | Munirah Mohamed Naser
Senior Executive
munirah.naser@duke-nus.edu.sg |