I am an Assistant Professor at the International Centre for Evidence in Disability (ICED) at LSHTM. I conduct mixed-methods disability research in the UK and internationally, focused on low- and middle-income countries. My research focuses on disability inclusion, mental health among people with disabilities and their families, and caregiver support. I hold a PhD in disability research from LSHTM and a Masters in Global Mental Health from LSHTM and King's College London.
Currently I work on the Programme for Evidence to Inform Disability Action (PENDA), funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office. I am Trial Coordinator for a cluster randomised-trial of the Pediatric Development Clinic/Baby Ubuntu Programme for children at risk of developmental disabilities in Rwanda. I also work on a non-randomised trial of a social protection programme for children with disabilities in Lao PDR.
In addition to my role at LSHTM, I am Postgraduate Educational Lead for the Global Injury Group and a member of the NHS England Independent Advisory Board for the Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) programme.
Affiliations
Teaching
I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I contribute to teaching on global disability and Global Mental Health, including lecturing, seminar facilitation, tutoring, dissertation supervision, and examination/dissertation marking. I was previously organiser of the MSc Study Unit "Global Disability and Mental Health". I am currently on the exam board for the MSc Global Mental Health.
I previously developed the free online course "Integrated Healthcare for Children with Developmental Disabilities", to which 9,000 people from over 100 countries have enrolled.
I supervise three doctoral students working on disability and/or mental health.
Research
My research focuses primarily on disability inclusion, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. I am a mixed-methods researcher, with skills in qualitative research, RCTs and impact evaluation, systematic review, and policy analysis. My recent research has included:
1. Cluster-randomised controlled trial, process evaluation and economic evaluation of the Pediatric Development Clinic/Baby Ubuntu Programme for children at risk of developmental disability in Rwanda. Embedded diagnostic accuracy study of the WHO Global Scales of Early Development.
2. Non-randomised trial and process evaluation of the Disability Grant Plus Initiative, a social protection programme for children with disabilities in Lao PDR.
3. Collaborative development of evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support guidelines for deaf and hard of hearing children in the Gaza Strip, in partnership with deaf and hard of hearing people, family members, civil society, and government. Methods included systematic review, qualitative research, and pilot study.
4. Qualitative research on the experiences of disabled people in England and Scotland during COVID-19, in partnership with the University of Glasgow.
5. Population-based survey of disability and mental health conditions among Syrian refugees in Istanbul.
6. Qualitative research on access to healthcare and community participation for people with disabilities in Zambia.
7. Systematic review and meta-analysis on depression and anxiety in parents of children with intellectual disabilities, prevalence of depression, anxiety and PTSD among healthcare workers during COVID-19, and scoping review of disability research in Zambia.
Selected Publications
