Joelle Mak
PhD, FHEA
Assistant Professor
Mobile Populations, Labour Exploitation and Human Trafficking
I am a mixed-methods public health researcher specialising in evaluation of complex interventions across Asia and Africa. I study migration, labour exploitation, human trafficking, sexual health and HIV. In addition to traditional quantitative and qualitative research methods, I am experienced in a range of literature review methods including systematic reviews and realist reviews. I am expanding my methodological portfolio through incorporation of computational social science methods such as Agent-Based Modelling, as well as creative approaches to data generation and analysis.
I have a strong interest in research ethics and am a member of both LSHTM’s ethics committee and the UK National Health Service’s Health Research Authority’s Research Ethics Committee.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I currently supervise two doctoral students working on violence and wellbeing among Rohingya adolescents; and young women's experiences of HIV prevention PrEP in Zambia. I welcome potential supervision of PhD students studying topics of my research interest and methodologies.
I am Deputy Module Organiser for Research Design and Methods for the Analysis of Global Health Policy. I also teach the Migration session for Population Studies.
I was previously Module Organiser for Principles of Social Research and taught on Research Design and Analysis, Sexual Health, Conflict & Health.
I am a tutor on MSc Public Health and MSc Reproductive & Sexual Health Research (RSHR) and am a member of the MSc RSHR Course Committee.
I am Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research
I am the survey lead for the UKRI GCRF South-South Migration, Inequality and Development (MIDEQ) Hub's multi-country surveys. MIDEQ surveys work with distinct migration corridors of origin and destination countries, examining migration decision-making and recruitment alongside gender, childhood-related issues, resource flow, organising, access to justice, digital technologies, cultural arts, among others.
I am seconded part-time to the Staying Alive Foundation (SAF) as the Senior Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager. I support SAF's evaluations on the role of edutainment in shifting individual behaviour and social norms to improve young people's SRH and wellbeing. I work across SAF's campaigns in India, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
Past projects:
-NIHR Global Health Research Group working on a mental health package of care for survivors of violence in South Asia. My work focused on survivors of human trafficking.
-I designed a multi-country qualitative study examining survivor-centred approaches for men and LGBTI+ populations that have experienced conflict-related sexual violence in Central African Republic and Colombia.
-DfID-funded SWiFT Evaluation on ILO's Work in Freedom an anti-trafficking intervention in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. I led the multi-methods five-year study in Nepal.
-BMGF-funded Integra initiative, an evaluation on different models for delivering integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya, Swaziland and Malawi.
-Camfed funded evaluation on the Seed Money Scheme's impact on girls' education and economic empowerment in Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
-The Global Burden of Diseases project. I worked on the interpersonal violence risk factors to mental ill-health