I am the Director of the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, a research group at LSHTM that works to expand the research and teaching activities of LSHTM in the field of global disability.
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 about disability. I also lecture on Disability on various MSc courses and the Diploma of Tropical Nursing.
In addition, I contribute to the Public Health in Eye Care and Epidemiology MSc course through supervising students, giving lectures, and taking part in the examination and MSc board meetings.
I currently the lead supervisor for three PhD students. Goli Hashemi, Emma Jolley, and Danae Rodrigues areonducting research on access to health services among people with disabilities. 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
My main research interest is disability in low and middle income countries, and I am strongly committed to improving the evidence base to support disability inclusive development.
I am the co-research director of the DFID-funded PENDA grant, which will undertake 10 impact evaluation of disability inclusive development programmes in resource poor settings.
Other research activities of mine focus on:
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, and how these can best be met in low resources settings.
3. Research on the relationship between poverty and disability, and the potential role of social protection in breaking this cycle.
I have helped to co-found 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.