Dr. Oana Blaga is a public health researcher specializing in the use of behavioral insights, behavioral economics, and implementation science for health behavior change. With over 13 years of experience, her work focuses on conducting mixed-methods research to understand health behaviors and using these findings to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based behavioral interventions across diverse populations. Dr. Blaga has served as a local PI for six NIH-funded projects, including three randomized controlled trials testing innovative mHealth interventions that leverage Motivational Interviewing and Self-Determination Theory, as well as peer support mechanisms for smoking cessation and maternal health. As a certified implementation science specialist, Dr. Blaga brings rigorous approaches to scaling behavioral interventions in real-world settings. Her most recent implementation project, “Efficacy of Parent-Administered Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) on Feeding Progression and Clinical Outcomes in Premature Infants”, is undertaken in partnership with the Romanian Association of Long Hospitalized Newborns (ARNIS) and the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital. She currently serves as a member of the Behavioral Observatory Advisory Group at ECDC, while in the past served as a WHO Technical Advisory Group member on Behavioural and Cultural Insights (2022-2025) and Romania’s National focal point for behavioral and cultural insights (2021-2022), translating research findings into policy recommendations and monitoring systems. Currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and the Executive Director of the Center for Health Policy and Public Health at Babes-Bolyai University, Dr. Blaga leads multidisciplinary teams that bridge behavioral science research with practical implementation. Her work consistently demonstrates effective integration of behavioral insights, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and sustainable across diverse healthcare settings.