Dr Susan Lynn Bissell

Canada

Public Health, Children’s Rights .

Dr Susan Lynn Bissell is a globally recognised leader in child protection, with more than three decades of experience across international development, public health, and human rights. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and serves as an independent senior advisor to both public and private sector institutions.

Dr Bissell previously served as Chief of Child Protection and Associate Director in UNICEF’s Programme Division, where she provided strategic leadership for child protection programmes in over 150 countries. She was also the Founding Director of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, where she led the development of its global strategy, governance structures, and multi-stakeholder engagement.

Her earlier roles include leading UNICEF’s research on the implementation of international child rights standards at the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, and directing child protection programmes in India. She began her career with UNICEF in South Asia, working in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on issues including child labour, children in conflict settings, and public health.

Dr Bissell holds a PhD in Public Health and Medical Anthropology from the University of Melbourne. Her work has consistently focused on advancing evidence-based approaches to protecting children from violence, while strengthening partnerships across governments, civil society, and international organisations. Dr. Bissell’s latest publication Protecting the World’s Children – public health, human rights, capabilities (Oxford University Press, 2025; co-ed. Dr. Shivakumar).