Medical Training
Dr. Shakarchi earned her medical degree from the University of Baghdad College of Medicine and a Master’s in Public Health for Eye Care from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University of London. She also completed a professional diploma in Public Policy and Leadership at the American University of Sharjah. Prior to residency, she completed clinical research fellowships in ophthalmology in the United States.
Achievements
Dr. Shakarchi graduated with distinction from medical school and as valedictorian of her master’s program at LSHTM, where she studied as a fully-funded Chevening Scholar, a highly selective global leadership scholarship funded by the UK government. During her time there, she served as President of the Student Body and as an elected Board/Council member of the school’s governing Council, where she contributed to institutional strategy. Her academic and research work has focused on ophthalmology, including retina, uveitis, and refractive errors, and global health, resulting in 40+ peer-reviewed papers and 80+ conference presentations across 10 countries.
She has received several honors, including selection as an inaugural Young Systems Leader by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the leading global alliance for eye care, as well as recognition as a Financial Times Women of the Future Rising Star, multiple professional development and research grants from Harvard Medical School, the National Eye Institute (NEI), and the Women Leaders in Eye Health program supported by Orbis International, and multiple Best Academic Poster awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma (ASOT). She has also contributed to international dialogue on eye health and innovation through invited presentations at forums convened by UNESCO, the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the European Space Agency.
Service
Dr. Shakarchi has been involved in service and advocacy through humanitarian, academic, and global health initiatives. She was handpicked to serve on a three-member headquarters team at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, supporting health operations globally, including programs reaching over 34 million people, and later as a regional representative with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in The Hague. She is a member of the United Nations Space and Global Health Network, where she has supported the development of space and global health curricula and international dialogue at the intersection of space science and health. Dr Shakarchi also serves as an Ambassador to the AstroAid Foundation and a National Point of Contact on the Space Generation Advisory Council, in support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. She remains active in professional service through serving as a peer reviewer of academic journals and committee work with international ophthalmology organizations, including ASOT and IAPB.
Outside Interests and Hobbies
Dr. Shakarchi enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as reading, writing, cycling, traveling, wakeboarding, climbing via ferrata, and exploring alpine routes. She is also the author of a children’s book promoting science literacy and early STEM inspiration, A Little Doctor’s Big Dream.