Najaf Ahmad

Najaf Ahmad has vivid childhood memories of her older sister enduring periodic grand mal seizures. Her sister, who had cerebral palsy, required intensive day to day care. She witnessed her parents’ tireless efforts to access sensitive medical care for her sister, build collaborative relationships with providers and overcome architectural barriers.  

Najaf's firsthand understanding of challenges within the health care system fueled a keen interest in public health and health policy. After spending her early career researching state health policy, she joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation where she currently serves as managing editor of the Culture of Health Blog.

Under Najaf’s leadership, the Culture of Health Blog’s influence has grown tremendously and it serves as a primary source of content for all of the Foundation’s digital platforms. Through her role, she highlights diverse voices, perspectives and lived experiences from among staff and grantees, with a focus on leveraging the power of story to connect readers to the Foundation’s brand and mission. Working across the Foundation, she hones content leads, designs editorial artwork, shapes content promotion plans and tracks digital analytics for audience insights.

Najaf has a Master's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Administration from the Yale University School of Public Health. She earned a BS in public health from Rutgers, The State University of N.J. where she graduated with honors.

In her spare time she is an avid traveler and voracious reader. She lives in Lawrence, N.J., with her husband, a pediatric cardiologist, and their children.

Latest Commentary