Assel Ibadulla

Assel Ibadulla is a PhD student in health policy on the decision science track, and a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. She graduated with honors in Biological Sciences from Nazarbayev University and earned an MPH from Yale University as a Horstmann Scholar. Assel aims to leverage decision sciences to help policymakers make cost-effective and equitable health decisions, with an emphasis on strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Before coming to Stanford, Assel worked at Yale’s Equity Research and Innovation Center, where she focused on health-care equity for ethnic minorities. She was also at the Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab, where she contributed to research on transitioning to high-value health systems, while also supporting WHO global health projects.

Beyond academia, Assel founded a mental wellness initiative and launched Aspire, a mentorship program for Central Asian students. She also placed in the top 10 at the Asian Universities Alliance Social Entrepreneurship Competition at Tsinghua University for her mental health app, Mind Matters.