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Staff spotlight: Yasmine Khreisheh

Name: Yasmine Khreisheh
Job title: Co-ordinator
Department: Global Health and Infection
Year started at BSMS: 2025

Tell us a bit about your background

I’m half Palestinian and half English and grew up in a very large and chaotic family in Devon. I have a degree in photography and worked for many years in retail management and visual merchandising before changing careers to work in social care, first as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and then working in a busy community social work team. Although I loved supporting clients and making a difference in people’s lives, I found it difficult balancing that desire to help people with the realities of working in a severely underfunded sector. I decided to look for a different kind of meaningful role where I could use my existing skills while still contributing to important work. When I saw the co-ordinator role in the Global Health and Infection department at BSMS advertised, it seemed like a perfect fit. Happily, I got the job and started here in March 2025.

What’s your role like day-to-day?

My days are really varied as my role is responsive to the needs of the department and the academics we support. I help academics and overseas colleagues with travel planning and bookings, purchasing, arranging meetings, conference support, general admin and pretty much anything else people might need help with. I’m also the dedicated administrator for the Centre for Equitable Global Health Research and for Footwork, an international podoconiosis charity based at BSMS.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

I love getting to meet and interact with such a wide range of interesting and inspiring people from all around the world. I have the pleasure of working with incredibly intelligent individuals doing really important research and I love getting a small insight into the work they do. I’ll also be travelling to Rwanda this month to support a conference, which I’m really looking forward to, and I hope I’ll get more opportunities to travel for work in the future. More generally, I love how busy and varied my days are and that I get the opportunity to be proactive, solve problems and develop new skills.

How have you developed your skills professionally since joining BSMS?

Since joining BSMS, I’ve developed a much greater understanding of working within higher education and global health research. Because the role is so varied, I’ve had the chance to build my skills in lots of different areas, from managing complex travel logistics and event coordination to supporting international collaboration and charity administration. I’ve also really appreciated being able to take a fully funded BSL Level 1 course through work, which I’ve been very much enjoying. As well as developing new skills, I’ve also been able to utilise and strengthen skills I gained through my previous roles, particularly communication, prioritising work, and being proactive in supporting others.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

How do you contribute to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment at work?

My background in social care made me very aware of the importance of inclusion and adapting communication to different people’s needs and experiences. Working within the CEGHR has also made me particularly aware of issues around inclusion and equity, as these are such a central focus of the centre’s work. Being part of that environment has really reinforced for me the importance of listening to different perspectives and helping to create spaces where people from all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued, respected and able to meaningfully contribute to our work. I think inclusivity starts with everyday attitudes and interactions, and consciously trying to ensure people feel respected, listened to and comfortable being themselves.

What are your other interests / hobbies?

I’m a huge trivia nerd and enjoy reading widely, building my general knowledge and falling down obscure rabbit holes. I also love puzzles, particularly cryptic crosswords, which I do daily. I enjoy hiking and bouldering and am very much looking forward to getting back to both now that I’m mostly recovered from hip replacement surgery. I’m also a complete cat person and love just hanging out at home with my four enormous cats.