Khuloud Alsaba

Khuloud Alsaba

Dr Khuloud Alsaba is a Syrian-Iraqi researcher who recently completed her PhD in Social Policy from the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, where she was a Chrystal MacMillan scholar. Her doctoral research focused on the political and social determinants of public health in conflict settings, using Syria as a case study. Dr Saba also published on the political economy of gender in the Syrian conflict and worked extensively on pedagogies and research methodologies in conflict, war, and politically unstable contexts. Bridging academic rigour with lived experience, her work highlights how governance structures, displacement, and social fragmentation shape access to healthcare in war-torn societies.

Dr Saba was the recipient of Sir William Darling Memorial Prize, which is awarded by the University Chancellor to the individual student or group who has done most to enhance the University’s reputation, and was named one of the BBC’s top 100 women of the year.

Before embarking on her academic journey, Dr Saba trained as a medic and was active in political and humanitarian circles. She supported besieged communities through aid coordination, negotiated humanitarian access, and supported field-based health initiatives.