Dr Bernadette Hensen
BSc MSc PhD
Research Fellow
Epidemiology
I first joined the School in 2009, after completing the MSc Control of Infectious Diseases and working in Zambia with various NGOs to implement a comprehensive HIV care and prevention programme for OVC. During this time I worked as a programme manager for ZAMSTAR and my research focussed primarily on HIV testing and I subsequently started a PhD in Epidemiology, exploring strategies to increase the uptake of HIV testing services among men in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Zambia. I currently work as an epidemiologist supporting two trials of community-based distribution of HIV testing services, including one under the STAR -: project. I also support a study in Zimbabwe, which aims to evaluate the impact of DREAMS among young women at highest risk of HIV in Zimbabwe.
Teaching
I currently teach on Basic Epidemiology and mark for the DL courses ASME and Writing and reviewing epidemiological papers.
Research
I am an epidemiologist with a particular interest in the control and prevention of HIV and other STIs. I am particularly interested in the structural and social drivers of HIV risk, their influence on access to available prevention services and developing and evaluating programmes to reach populations with limited access to available services. I am also interested in how place and social networks influence access to health services. My research to date has mainly focussed on strategies to increase uptake of HIV testing services, as a gateway prevention and care. I currently work on two HIV self-testing trials and an impact evaluation of the DREAMS initiative, a combined package of interventions to reduce the risk of HIV among adolescents girls and young women, in Zimbabwe.