Professor Hannah Kuper
ScD
Professor
of Epidemiology
I am the co-Director of the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, a research group at LSHTM, together with Professor Tom Shakespeare.
My main research interest is disability in low and middle income countries, with a particular focus on access to healthcare for people with disabilities and measuring the effectiveness of development interventions. My two substantive research roles are:
- NIHR Global Research Professor focussing on improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities in Uganda.
- Co-research director of the FCDO-funded PENDA grant, which will undertake 10 impact evaluation of disability inclusive development programmes in resource poor settings.
I co-founded the Missing Billion Initiative, which focuses on improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities globally, by working with governments, donors, healthcare systems and people with disabilities. https://www.themissingbillion.org/
I have an undergraduate degree from Oxford University in Human Sciences and a doctorate from Harvard University in epidemiology. I have worked at LSHTM since 2002. I joined as a member of the International Centre for Eye Health, undertaking research into the prevalence, impact and control of blindness. I also focussed on other types of impairments, and on quantitative research about disability. I was the co-director of the International Centre for Evidence in Disability 2010-2017, and the director since 2017.
Affiliations
Teaching
I organise the MSc Study Unit on "Global Disability and Mental Health" and am course leader for three MOOCs. I also lecture on Disability on various MSc courses and the Diploma of Tropical Nursing at LSHTM.
I currently the lead supervisor for four PhD students. Goli Hashemi, Emma Jolley, and Danae Rodrigues areconducting research on access to health services among people with disabilities. Jane Wilbur is investigating the feasibility and acceptability of a menstrual hygiene management programme for women with intellectual disabilities in Nepal.
I am also the lead supervisor for two DrPH students. Anthony Duttine is investigating the development of parent training programmes for the parents of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil. Satish Mishra is assessing how to strengthen rehabilitation policies and capacity.
Research
I am the co-Director of the International Centre for Evidence on Disability together with Professor Tom Shakespeare.
My main research interest is disability in low and middle income countries, with a particular focus on access to healthcare for people with disabilities and measuring the effectiveness of development interventions. My two substantive research roles are:
- NIHR Global Research Professor focussing on improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities in Uganda.
- Co-research director of the FCDO-funded PENDA grant, which will undertake 10 impact evaluation of disability inclusive development programmes in resource poor settings.
There are three main strands to my research:
1. Assessment of the prevalence of disability and impairments, including in children, and development of new methods in undertaking these surveys (e.g. use of mobile technologies).
2. Investigation of the health and rehabilitation needs of people with disabilities.
3. Developing and testing interventions to improve health and well-being among people with disabilities.
I support partners in LSHTM and externally to integrate consideration of disability into their research.
I am committed to:
- Conducting research which will help improve the practice of government and NGO agencies in providing effective services for people with disabilities and their families.
- Working in partnership with people with disabilities and international researchers in all aspects of my work.
Selected Publications
