About me

Roxana Salehi, PhD

I’m Roxana Salehi — Founder of Vitus Consulting, research and evaluation expert, and author with over 15 years of global experience addressing complex local and global health challenges, from mental health to health workforce shortages.

My work is grounded in two core principles: First: rigorous scientific evidence — not buzzwords or hype — should shape decisions and policy; and second: solutions to health challenges must serve everyone, not just a privileged few.

I see evaluation as a practical tool for decision-making in complex systems. Perfect data is rare, ideal study designs are not always possible, and organizations operate under real constraints. I work within these realities to deliver methodologically sound, useful evidence.

A unique strength I bring is acting as a cultural translator — I  bridge disciplines and align clinicians, patients, policymakers, funders, and technologists around shared goals. 

I founded Vitus Consulting in Toronto in 2014 and now work globally from Barcelona. Earlier work included community health centres serving marginalized populations and multi-country initiatives shaping nursing education in Africa and oncology care in the Caribbean. More recently, I’ve been working on AI-enabled precision mental health.

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Global collaborations/Media

I contribute to global efforts to evaluate AI in healthcare, including work with Health AI Global Agency, and as a volunteer with the WHO European Region Knowledge Community on Digital Mental Health Regulation. 

My perspectives on Barcelona’s health innovation ecosystem have been featured in two interviews with El Periódico (2020 and 2023), and by Barcelona Global.


Formal Education & Credentials

Degrees: Ph.D., Public Health, York University, 2011

  • Master of Environmental Studies in Health, York University 
  • Bachelor of Science (Biology), Brock University

Professional Certificates

  • Modelling Cost-Effectiveness in Healthcare, London School of Economics (2025) 
  • Health Data for Innovation, European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health (2025)
  • Advanced Quantitative Methods, University of Michigan (2015)

Business Training

Organizational Behaviour, Financial Accounting, Harvard University 

  • Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, EIT-Health

Professional Designation

Credentialed Evaluator (CE) : Canadian Evaluation Society (2014)