CoVAC is jointly led by Dr Karen Devries (LSHTM), Dr Jenny Parkes (UCL-IoE), and Mr Dipak Naker (Raising Voices), in partnership with the Uganda MRC.

Dr Karen Devries (co-PI) is a social epidemiologist specialising in violence against children and adolescents, as well as intimate partner violence. She has extensive experience in quantitative survey methods and conducting research with this specific population in Uganda. Dr Devries provides overall oversight of the project, and is responsible for the epidemiological component of the study. Dr Jenny Parkes (co-PI) is an expert in qualitative methods and education and is responsible for the qualitative component of the study. She specialises in research on violence against children and adolescence, and has led a number of studies in sub-Saharan Africa. Dipak Naker (co-PI) at Raising Voices will lead the public engagement, communications and advocacy aspects of the study, and will also use results to directly inform development of new programming to prevent violence. 

Amiya Bhatia (co-I, LSHTM), is the project’s lead epidemiologist and study manager for the third wave of data collection. Aggrey Akim is the project’s study coordinator. Amiya and Aggrey work together, with research partners, to manage the day-to-day operations of the study and support the team of researchers.

Anja Zinke-Allmang (Research Fellow, LSHTM) is a mixed methods researcher. She co-developed the study instruments and worked closely with the study’s counsellors during the third wave of data collection.

Daniel Carter (Research Fellow, LSHTM) co-leads analysis and data management. Daniel is a statistician with an interest in causal inference and causal mediation.

Louise Knight (co-I, LSHTM), is the project’s lead epidemiologist and study manager. Louise has extensive experience managing epidemiological studies in sub-Saharan Africa. She also manages all day to day project activities. 

Dr Eddy Walakira (co-I) is based at Makerere University and is head of the School of Social Work, and provides specific expertise on the Ugandan context, child labour and on violence and health needs in children who are out of school. Dr Walakira also leads the research capacity building activities at Makerere University. 

Dr Elizabeth Allen (co-I, LSHTM) is the study statistician with extensive experience in complex study designs and longitudinal analyses. Dr Nambusi Kyegombe (co-I) is a Ugandan social scientist with specific expertise on violence against children and women (jointly appointed at the Uganda MRC Unit and LSHTM). 

Prof Janet Seeley (co-I) is a social anthropologist at LSHTM and head of the Uganda MRC Unit’s Social Science Programme. Prof Helen Weiss (co-I) is a statistical epidemiologist at LSHTM. Both have worked extensively in Uganda, including on cohort studies, adolescent health and sexual health.

LSHTM

Karen Devries
Louise Knight
Helen Weiss
Elizabeth Allen
Amiya Bhatia
Daniel Carter

MRC Uganda/LSHTM

Janet Seeley
Nambusi Kyegombe
Lydia Atuhaire (CoVAC Co-ordinator)
Winfred Nalukenge (Lead Social Scientist) 

External

UCL-IoE

Dr Jenny Parkes
Simone Datzberger (Social Scientist) 

Raising Voices

Dipak Naker
Sophie Namy
Katharina Anton-Erlebexen
Angel Mirembe
Tvisha Nevatia

This project is part of the Child Protection Research Group.