Aina Nicolàs
Predoctoral Researcher Global Viral and Bacterial Infections | Environment and Health over the Lifecourse
Aina Nicolàs is a biologist by background, with a Master’s in Global Health and Management and 3 years of public health research experience. As a PhD student in the ISGlobal Public Health Liver Group, she provides strategic support in carrying out research projects, particularly those focused on viral hepatitis, migrant and refugee populations, and implementation science.
Guided by a strong commitment to health equity, Aina’s work seeks to improve care pathways to reduce health disparities among vulnerable and underserved populations.
Aina contributed to the EU co-funded project VH-COMSAVAC, which aimed to scale up and adapt community-based viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV) testing and HBV vaccination models of care among migrant and refugee populations in Spain, Italy and Greece. She helped oversee data collection and analyse the project and related studies. Currently, she now provides support to a related yet different EU-funded project called HEP-HOP. This multicountry initiative aims to scale up and evaluate community-based programmes for viral hepatitis screening, HBV vaccination, and linkage to care. A critical focus will be on understanding and tackling vaccine misinformation, disinformation, and hesitancy among at-risk migrant and refugee populations in Belgium, Latvia, and Spain to promote HBV vaccination uptake.
Aina has presented her work in a number of national and international conferences, including the World Hepatitis Summit (2024 & 2026) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress (2024 &2025). She has also helped coordinate the Health Systems and Policies Module of the Master’s in Global Health & Clinical Research, led by ISGlobal and the University of Barcelona.
As part of her Master’s degree at University of Aberdeen (Scotland, UK) in Global Health and Management, Aina developed a study on the effectiveness of community health workers in Rwanda and Ethiopia. This work would mark the beginning of her research career on community-based and decentralised health strategies.
Lines of research
- Viral Hepatitis
- Liver Health
- Implementation Research
- Migrant Health
- Community Health
- Health Systems and Policy
Main publications
- Ivancovsky Wajcman D, Nicolàs A, Picchio CA, et al. Prioritising viral hepatitis elimination to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma: A public health approach for effective preventive hepatology. JHEP Rep. 2025;7(8):101436.
- Picchio CA, Nicolàs A, Ayemfouo Fofou IV, et al. Acceptability and Feasibility of the Plasma Separation Card for an Integrated Model of Care for HBV and HCV Screening Among People Attending HIV Clinics in Cameroon and Uganda. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2024;14(3):827-838.
- Herranz Mochales A, Picchio CA, Nicolàs A, et al. Implementing a new HCV model of care for people who use drugs. JHEP Rep. 2024;6(10):101145.
- Lazarus JV, Kopka CJ, Nicolàs A, et al. Lessons learned from viral hepatitis testing that inform law and policy responses to steatotic liver disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol.
- Lazarus JV, Miralles-Sanchez JE, Agirre-Garrido L, et al. A call to action to address the steatotic liver disease public health threat in Barcelona. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2025;52:101272. Published 2025 Mar 22.
- Pascucci D, Nicolàs A, Taha A, et al. Monitoring and evaluation of community interventions for viral hepatitis among migrants and refugees: a Delphi-based study. J Glob Health. 2025;15:04335.
