Dr Salime Goharinezhad

I am Dr. Salime Goharinezhad, a Research Associate at The Open University. I earned my Ph.D. in Healthcare Management from Iran University of Medical Sciences (2011–2016), where I developed future scenarios for health and social care among older adults using a multi-method foresight approach. Additionally, I hold two master’s degrees in medical education and health services management.

Before joining The Open University, I was an Assistant Professor at Iran University of Medical Sciences, where I was actively involved in research, teaching, supervision, and external collaborations. My research focuses on four key areas:

a) Health Policy and Systems Research – Evaluating and enhancing key health system domains, including service delivery, financing, workforce, health information systems, governance, and leadership, while addressing future health system needs.

b) Public Health & Population Health – Tackling global health challenges by advancing primary prevention strategies, improving population health outcomes, and strengthening the evidence base for better patient care.

c) Foresight and Horizon Scanning – Identifying emerging health trends, anticipating future challenges, and developing strategic, evidence-informed solutions.

d) Healthy Ageing and Reimagining Ageing: Promoting innovative approaches to enhance the health and well-being of older adults.

As an Assistant Professor at the university, I have led several nationally funded projects supported by the Ministry of Health. Additionally, I have served as the Director of The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)  at the university, a role that earned me the Top Researcher Award from the Minister of Health at the time.

In 2022, I led a student-driven project on integrating Planetary Health into the medical curriculum through a foresight lens. This initiative was recognized and supported by the School of International Futures (SOIF) in the UK as a high-impact project.

My work spans quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods research, and various types of review studies. I actively contribute as a peer reviewer for multiple journals, including BMC Series, BMJ Open, the International Journal of Health Policy and Management, and the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). Additionally, I serve on the editorial board of INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing. I also collaborate closely with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and have worked on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study leading to multiple high-impact publications, including several papers in The Lancet.

In my current role as a Research Associate at The Open University, I am working on an NIHR-funded project focused on implementing shared decision-making in cardiology departments within NHS Trusts. In parallel, with the valuable support of my line manager, I have established an international collaboration, enabling the adaptation and implementation of the shared decision-making model in a cardiology setting in Iran. This initiative has expanded the project's impact while fostering cross-country knowledge exchange.