Tom Barker is Senior Health Convenor in the Health and Nutrition Cluster of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK.

Tom has 20 years of experience working in knowledge brokering, research communication, policy engagement, and parliamentary influencing in the UK health, global health and international development policy arenas. Tom collaborates with partners in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and at regional and global levels on projects funded by the likes of UK NIHR, GCRF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Tom was previously a strategic communications advisor to The Lancet Global Health Commission on Financing Primary Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. From 2016 to 2021, Tom was also the Communications Manager for the Health Systems Global health policy and systems research and practice network with more than 1,600 members in over 110 countries. He was previously the Policy Influence and Research Uptake Manager for the UK DFID-funded Future Health Systems research consortium.

Tom’s previous experience includes managing a research knowledge brokering network for the UK NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research Programme; facilitating engagements with the UK Parliament and Whitehall for the NHS Confederation, a membership body for UK NHS organisations; and running the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Primary Care and Public Health.