I am a qualitative researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) focused on the social, political and historical determinants of mental health amongst vulnerable populations, with particular expertise in impacts on the socioeconomically marginalised and those displaced by war. I often draw on social theory in my approach, most notably, Strong Structuration Theory. As a Principal Investigator, I have received funding from the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute for Health Research.
Affiliations
Department of Public Health, Environments and Society
Faculty of Public Health and Policy
Centres
Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre
Teaching
I am the deputy module organiser of the ‘Conflict and Health’ distance learning module. In past years I was a lecturer and seminar leader on health systems and policy across UK and internationally. I supervise PhD, DrPH and MSc students.
Research
My current research focuses mainly on mental health and forced displacement. This is primarily through three projects. The first is a critical assessment of the evidence base on mental health amongst forcibly displaced youth in low- and middle-income settings worldwide. The second and third are linked studies on the challenges and coping approaches of forcibly displaced Ukrainians across England. I am also involved in an NIHR-funded evaluation on Selective Licensing Schemes which relates to social drivers of mental health amongst vulnerable tenants in England.
Research Area
Conflict
Gender
Health inequalities
Health services research
Migration
Social and structural determinants of health
Systematic reviews
Violence
Sociology
Qualitative research
Mixed methods research
Disease and Health Conditions
Mental health
Non-communicable diseases
Chronic diseases
Cardiovascular diseases
Country
Afghanistan
Georgia
Malaysia
Philippines
United Kingdom
Ukraine
Region
East Asia & Pacific (developing only)
Europe & Central Asia (all income levels)
Selected Publications
Participant Use of Digital Diaries in Qualitative Research: A Strong Structuration Analysis
2022
International Journal of Qualitative Methods
Process evaluation of an intervention to improve HIV treatment outcomes among children and adolescents.
2022
Public health action
Strong structuration analysis of patterns of adherence to hypertension medication.
2022
SSM - Qualitative research in health
Aspects of loss and coping amongst displaced populations: Toward a psychosocial approach
2019
Refuge in a Moving World
Afghanistan priority package of health services: Guidelines for health interventions
2019
Coping strategies of internally displaced women in Georgia: A qualitative study.
2017
Social science & medicine (1982)
Coping strategies and mental health outcomes of conflict-affected persons in the Republic of Georgia.
2016
Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences
