Riaz Ferdaus

Background

About Riaz Ferdaus

My career is built on a multidisciplinary foundation of medicine, a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Economics, a Master's in Patient Safety, and a PhD in Health Policy and Management. This diverse academic background underpins my leadership of interdisciplinary teams on a global scale, where I combine academic rigor with real-world application in outcomes research, focusing on Health Economics, Health Policy, and Quality Management. Strategically, my experience merges teaching, entrepreneurship, and outcomes research through large-scale initiatives funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and CDC. My work with the NCI's SEER Program involved researching adjuvant treatments for lymphomas and leading a chart abstraction for breast and prostate cancer, providing deep expertise in evidence generation for Hematology/Oncology. I have direct experience from a US payer perspective, having led HEOR evaluations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, including preparing the business case for HEDIS measure improvements. This work, complemented by over 14 publications, 50 presentations, and leadership of global projects at United Nations agencies, has been foundational to building peer-to-peer relationships with scientific experts worldwide. Operationally, I have managed the full project lifecycle, from budgets and contracts to vendor management for major national studies. As Director at EQS Advisors, I designed and executed 11 nationwide surveys for WHO and UNICEF, delivering complex data packages for submission to global health agencies—a clear example of supporting country affiliates. In this role, I led teams of over 300 research workers, adapting protocols to local requirements and working with cross-functional, multicultural teams to achieve high-impact deliverables. My research expertise includes designing numerous non-interventional and data synthesis studies, authoring protocols, and overseeing all stages of research for the WHO, UNICEF, NCI, and CDC. This demonstrates proficiency in Evidence Generation and Medical Record Review. At the heart of my work is a commitment to translating rigorous research into actionable strategies. My career represents a unique synthesis of payer-side HEOR, large-scale oncology research, global health strategy, and academic leadership. I possess the mix of technical expertise and proven project management skills to develop robust value evidence strategies and effectively communicate the value of an organization’s portfolio to payers, providers, and patients.