Jeannie Annan, PhD, is the International Rescue Committee’s Chief Research and Innovation Officer, leading the agency’s efforts to design, test, and scale life-changing solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. Jeannie co-founded the Airbel Impact Lab, a team of researchers, designers, behavioral scientists and analysts working with technical experts, frontline staff and partners to find high impact and scalable products and services in more than 30 crisis-affected countries around the world.

Dr. Annan’s own research focus has been to develop and test economic, behavioral, and mental health interventions to prevent violence and to mitigate its psychological and social consequences on women and children. She started her career leading education and psychosocial programming in Kosovo, northern Uganda and South Sudan. She is an Associate at the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago. She is also a research affiliate at Innovations for Poverty Action and academic lead on their initiatives on humanitarian and forced displacement and on intimate partner violence. She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington. She was a post-doctorate fellow at Yale University and NYU and a visiting scientist at the Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health.