Capucine Barcellona
global health systems / mental health / social impact
I am a public health and social impact professional with expertise in research, programme management and stakeholder engagement.
I believe that deeply understanding people is essential for successful decision-making, both in policy and practice.
With a background in anthropology and global health, I apply skills of mixed-methods research and systems thinking to address complex healthcare, social and policy questions.
I am passionate about bridging community and systems-level perspectives in healthcare and social impact, and improving public service delivery for vulnerable populations.
My background
I am currently a PhD student at the Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement (CHI²), University of Bath (2026-2030).
I have an academic background in anthropology and international development, and 6 years of professional experience in global health & social impact. I am fully fluent in English, Italian, French & Spanish and am working to improve my Mandarin Chinese. I have lived in Italy, Singapore and the UK.
My current & past affiliations include the Impact Investing Institute; Bridges Outcomes Partnership; the Ed Sheeran Foundation; the Southeast Asia Regional Collaborative for Health; the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore; the Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore; andthe Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics.
I have also held consulting roles with the World Health Organization (Europe) and The Friendship Bench, and various volunteer positions related to migrant rights, climate health, gender & LGBTQ+ rights and mental health.
My Work
Global Health Systems & Policy
“Medicine should be viewed as social justice work in a world that is so sick and so riven by inequities.”
Paul Farmer
All policy is health policy. I have experience conducting research and policy engagement on global health policy and systems. My work has covered vaccine cost-effectiveness, health financing, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), primary care, digital health and reproductive technologies.
My key research interests include mental health integration, health financing, social determinants and place-based healthcare. I am interested in applying systems thinking approaches to healthcare improvement, with a focus on primary care.
Mental Health
“It is impossible to understand addiction without asking what relief the addict finds, or hopes to find, in the drug or the addictive behaviour […] Addictions always originate in pain, whether felt openly or hidden in the unconscious.”
Gabor Maté
All health is mental health. I have written, researched and advocated on mental health & addiction for over 6 years. I believe in taking trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches to my work. I am particularly interested in the impact of social inequities on mental wellbeing, the connection between physical and mental health, community-based interventions and drug policy rooted in harm reduction.
Social Impact
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
Lilla Watson
I seek to bring a rights-based, intersectional perspective to my work. I have professional experience in social change, impact investing and youth issues across a range of social impact areas. For over 8 years, I have also been involved in volunteering, programme management and writing on gender & sexuality, migrant rights and neurodiversity. I value solidarity, co-production and complex systems thinking to enable radical change.
