Dr Constance Mackworth-Young
BA MSc PhD
Assistant Professor
of Medical Anthropology
LSHTM
15-17 Tavistock Place
London
WC1H 9SH
United Kingdom
I am a Medical Anthropologist, with a research focus on young people, sexual and reproductive health, and adolescent wellbeing. I am based in Zimbabwe, with The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU-ZIM), where I lead social science research. I founded and lead the Social Science Research Group in Zimbabwe. Methodologies I focus on are are ethnographic, participatory qualitative methods, and process evaluations. I was previously based at Zambart in Zambia, where I conducted ethnographic studies with young people living with HIV. I hold an undergraduate degree in Biological and Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, and an MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health and a PhD, both from LSHTM.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am Programme Director for the EMPOWA Programme, Empowering Professionals for the Wellbeing of Adolescents, a joint Programme between LSHTM and University of Zimbabwe. Each year the Programme selects and teaches 20 policy makers and programmers working with adolescents through practical teaching and supporting 'change projects' with the end goal of improving adolescent wellbeing.
I was awarded an LSHTM award for 'Exceptional contributions to innovation and stimulating education' for the development and delivery of the EMPOWA Programme in 2022.
I currently supervise three PhD students, all conducting research in Zimbabwe. Each year I supervise MSc students, particularly those interested in qualitative analysis related to young people and sexual and reproductive health in Zimbabwe. Additionally, I am a lecturer on Qualitative Methods.
Research
My current research focus is on sexual and reproductive health services for young people in Zimbabwe, using ethnographic, qualitative, and participatory methods.
I lead the process evaluations within the CHIEDZA and STICH trials, evaluating a community-based intervention to improve HIV and STI outcomes in adolescents, led by The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU ZIM). I lead the qualitative research for the GIFT study, investigating women's, healthcare professionals and policy makers perceptions of a novel screening tool for STIs in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar. I lead the qualitative research on the YCHECK project in Zimbabwe, designing routine health checks during adolescence, in collaboration with the World Health Organization. I lead social science research on the Zvatinoda! study, a feasibility study of a mobile health intervention to increase demand and uptake of sexual and reproductive health services among young people.
I was awarded my PhD in February 2020, which was entitled 'An ethnographic study on the everyday lives of young women living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia' and was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. While at Zambart from 2014-2018, I conducted and collaborated on several studies around young people, HIV and sexual and reproductive health. Beyond sexual and reproductive health, I have researched other infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and TB.
Selected Publications
