I am an implementation researcher, a practicing primary care physician and have experience working in humanitarian settings. My expertise is in mixed methods evaluations of Noncommunicable Care in Humanitarian Emergencies. I studied Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin and did my specialist training in General Practice (Family and Community Medicine) on the Trinity/HSE General Practice Training Scheme in Ireland. I hold an MSc(dist) in Tropical Medicine and International Health and the DTM&H and a PhD in Epidemiology of NCDs from LSHTM. Before joining LSHTM in 2016, I worked with Médecins sans Frontières in India, Jordan and the DRC, focusing on malnutrition and developing Non-Communicable Disease services. I work part-time at LSHTM and part-time clinically as a GP.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am co-organiser for a new Management and Evaluation of Humanitarian Health Projects distance learning module, part of a new Health in Humanitarian Crises distance learning Masters at LSHTM. I teach on Conflict and Health and Epidemiology of Noncommunicable Diseases and Control in-house modules. I am a personal tutor and supervise Masters students' summer projects. Recent student projects have involved literature reviews and qualitative research on noncommunicable diseases and sustainability in humanitarian settings. I have also taught on malnutrition for the East African DTM&H and now teach on NCDs in humanitarian settings for the London-based DTM&H, the MSF Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine Course and CERAH Geneva NCDs Short Course.
Research
My research involves mixed methods evaluations (including costing) and implementation research on NCDs in humanitarian and LMIC settings. Current projects involve exploration of innovative models of care (integrated care, peer support) for hypertension and diabetes in Lebanon with the Partnership for Change group, involving ICRC, DRC and Novo Nordisk, and leading the qualitative component of the HumAn1 study, comparing human with analogue insulins in Bangladesh and Tanzania. Previously, I worked with MSF on evaluating their NCD services in DRC and Jordan and their introduction of a cardiovascular secondary prevention polypill in clinics in north Lebanon. I was also involved in a project documenting humanitarian actors' adaptations to NCD care during the Covid-19 pandemic. I am workstream co-lead for the International Alliance for Diabetes Action (IADA). I am passionate about working with humanitarian organisations to develop simplified, accessible and cost effective models of NCD care in unstable or resource-constrained environments, improving access to affordable medicines and strengthening monitoring, research and evaluation methods. I am especially interested in developing evaluation methods for complex interventions in insecure and dynamic humanitarian settings.