Dr. Isabella Epiu has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first female anesthesiologist with a Ph.D. in East Africa.
To begin with, anesthesiologists are doctors specializing in administering anesthesia – medication that controls pain and, in some cases, induces sleep during surgery. They also oversee patients while they recover from the effects of these drugs post-surgery and may assist in managing chronic pain conditions.
At 37 years old, Dr. Epiu earned her Ph.D. in medicine, specializing in neuro-respiratory physiology and health economics, from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Her expertise spans anesthesia, critical care medicine, emergency care medicine, intensive care, and pain medicine.
Dr. Epiu, currently a Research Scientist, is also the founder and Director of Health Solutions International. This organization is dedicated to advancing healthcare standards to save lives.
Her commitment to elevating healthcare standards and saving lives has earned her several prestigious awards. These include the 2018 top 10% ISPOR research award from the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, the 2016 SOAP Media Award from the USA-based Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, the 2014 National Institutes of Health award as a Fogarty Fellow in Global Health with the University of California Global Health Institute (USA), and the 2013 World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists Research Award.