Olivia Barata Cavalcanti

Dr Olivia Barata Cavalcanti has over a decade of experience in public health with a special focus on obesity and public-private partnerships to fight non-communicable diseases.

In her role as Director of Science and Programmes at the World Obesity Federation, Olivia leads the organisation's training and certification programme, SCOPE, which addresses professional development for obesity care in healthcare systems. She also oversees MAPPS, the organisation’s programme aimed at monitoring obesity prevention and treatment in health systems across the globe. Additionally, Olivia is in charge of scientific knowledge management for the organisation.

She has worked for different international and non-profit organisations in Europe and the United States where she was responsible for all aspects of design and implementation of different health programmes on diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease for both children and adults with a focus on low-income settings. She also has deep knowledge of and experience with the UN system having worked at UNAIDS in Mozambique, for the US Fund for UNICEF and as a Fellow at the Italian Mission to the UN. Olivia has experience teaching Public Health, Community Health and Research Methods courses in different universities at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

She earned her Doctorate of Public Health degree from CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. She also holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. She was born and raised in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and has lived in Rome, New York and Maputo before landing in London.