Kelly comes to the END Fund with a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the Ohio State University and a Masters of Public Health from Tulane focused on International Health and Development in the context of complex emergencies. Her work prior to joining the END Fund focused on gender, social protection, social determinants of health, and health equity in global health with various international organizations including The World Bank, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, and Women for Women International. She has led global health research and programs for almost two decades across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
Her experience has been recognized by several prestigious awards including a Fulbright IIE Research award, a National Science Foundation research grant, the Jennings Randolph Peace Scholars award, and the West Africa Research Association fellowships. She has authored one book, Hope on the Brinks: Dreams and Nightmares Crossing Borders, and a breadth of research papers and articles on ways to improve gender and social equity in global health. Dr. Zongo is fully proficient in speaking, reading, and writing French and lived and worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon for over 10 years.