Overview

I am a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology, University of Exeter. My overarching research focus is on prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

I am currently interested in the co-design of VAWG prevention interventions. Specifically, I am interested in piecing together the triumphs and pitfalls of VAWG prevention intervention co-development processes, to enable us to understand how to best employ co-development. If we understand what works, and doesn’t work, in the processes of VAWG prevention intervention co-development, we have a greater chance of creating more beneficial interventions that are closely reflective of the beneficiaries’ lived realities/contexts; and ultimately increased potential of achieving VAWG prevention interventions that work. 

My current project involves working with a group of young, forced migrant women from Durban, South Africa to co-develop an intervention focused on VAWG prevention and poor mental health mitigation.

Previous work includes investigating experiences of Xenophobia, intimate partner violence and poor mental health amongst forced migrant women in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa; VAWG prevention intervention co-development processes with adolescents; and exploring trauma experience and symptomology across different contexts (such as urban vs rural dwelling) in Kenya.

I work closely with the Gender and Health Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council. 

Qualifications

DPhil, Psychology 

Links

• ORCID

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Research

Research interests

• Violence against women and children
• Intervention co-development
• The nexus between PTSD, depression and VAWG

Research projects

Current project and funding:

2023 – 2026: NIHR–Wellcome Partnership for Global Health Research. Role: PI 

International Training Fellowship. Title: “Understanding and addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in forced migrant (refugee) communities in Durban, South Africa.”  Total costs (£478,673)

Previous projects and funding:

2022 – 2023: The National Research Foundation, South Africa. Role: PI

Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship. Title: “Understanding intimate partner violence (IPV) amongst female forced migrant communities in Eastern Cape, South Africa.” Total costs: R565,000 (£24,565)

2018 – 2021: The National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa. Role: PI 

Department of Science and Technology Innovation and Priority Research Areas Doctoral Scholarship. Title: “Co-developing online sexual violence prevention interventions with high school learners.” Total costs R445,000 (£19,347)

2016 – 2018: The National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology​, South Africa. Role: PI 

Department of Science and Technology Innovation and Priority Research Areas Masters Scholarship. Title: “The relationship between geographical location, attribution style and traumatic stress severity in Kiambu and Nyeri counties, Kenya.” Total costs R215,000 (£9,347)

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Publications

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External Engagement and Impact

Advice to Government, Parliament, devolved and English regional administrations, other national, international, regional or local agencies; advice to non-government organisations and to private practice

1. Independent advisory board member, What Works to prevent violence against women and girls 2, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (2023 - present)
2. Temporary Advisor, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO/HRP (2022)

Editorial responsibilities

Editorial board member, Child Protection and Practice (2023 - present).

External positions

Honorary Research Associate at the Transformation office, Nelson Mandela University.

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