Theresa Hoke is a public health research expert with over 30 years of experience collaborating with partners in resource-poor settings to strengthen primary health care services. Previously serving as Director of Health Services Research at FHI 360, she led a multi-disciplinary research team in conducting a complex health research portfolio in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Through her own research, Dr. Hoke has guided multi-disciplinary teams in articulating evidence needs and designing and executing rigorous research to tackle scientific challenges in health program implementation. For example, her implementation research in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya provided evidence to program managers about effective linkages between HIV and family planning services. Another investigation in Madagascar informed national provision of injectable contraceptives by community health workers. She has also applied her implementation science expertise to strengthen programming for nutrition, neglected tropical diseases, and population, health & environment.

Early in her career, Dr. Hoke served on the team that launched USAID’s initial Quality Assurance Project, led by University Research Corporation. She collaborated with field colleagues in conducting operations research studies to test quality improvement interventions to strengthen child health services. Dr. Hoke’s deep respect for local leadership traces back to her service in rural Niger as a volunteer nutrition educator for the United States Peace Corps.

Dr. Hoke earned her Master’s of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and her doctorate in Health Policy and Administration, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.