As an interdisciplinary researcher, I draw on the strengths of numerous disciplines (or '-ologies') to advance gender justice in health, and improve health behaviours and outcomes, service access and delivery for underserved populations around the world. My research and programmatic work across South(east) and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK applies my fluency in a range of public health and social science approaches to better understand global health problems and explore promising solutions.
In my 16+ years in global health and development, I’ve had the privilege of working with multiple UN agencies and universities, UKRI, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Foundation, UKAid, UK National Health Service, private foundations, and numerous national Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture, Women and Social Welfare.
I recently led the Violence & Mental Health in South Asia (VAMHSA) Study in Sri Lanka, aimed at developing mental health resources for non-specialist providers working with survivors of Violence Against Women, modern slavery, and conflict. I hold research and creative public engagement grants addressing perinatal mental health and self-harm in women and girls in low- and middle-income countries and provide teaching and supervision for undergraduate, medical and post-graduate students.
Who is the -ologist?
A dual British-American national, I’ve lived in the UK, US, continental Europe and Sri Lanka and currently split my time between London and Colombo. I hold a PhD in Demography and Population Studies (LSE), Master’s in both Social Research Methods (LSE) and Maternal and Child Health (UCL) and a Bachelor’s in Psychology (Hanover College). I’m pursuing certification to practice as a birth and postnatal doula with Childbirth International.
In 2023, I founded the Centre for Impact on Violence and Health (CIVAH) with an aim to become a global centre of excellence in research, evaluation, and implementation science responding to the myriad challenges of diverse forms of violence and abuse and their impacts upon our physical, mental, social and planetary health around the world.
Talks (selected)
Creating life, considering death: An introduction to self-harm & suicide in perinatal women & girls in South Asia. In: 2nd International Conference on Women in Multifaceted Research. [online], 11 March 2024. Bihar: Gopal Narayan Singh University.
Generating gender-conscious evidence on suicide and self-harm. In: Suicide and self-harm special interest group. UCL Institute of Mental Health Launch. London, UK, 11 October 2023. London: University College London.
Practicing global mental health. In: Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Discover Psychiatry 2023. London, UK, 4 October 2023. London: UK Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Exploring intimate partner violence and coercive control in contemporary youth relationships in Sri Lanka: A Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) study among young women. In: European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV 2023). Reykjavik, Iceland, 11-13 of September 2023. Reykjavik: University of Iceland.
Developing and adapting mental health interventions for women experiencing gender-based violence in low and middle-income countries. In: European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV 2023). Reykjavik, Iceland, 11-13 of September 2023. Reykjavik: University of Iceland.
Youth behaviors and mental health (including addiction and neurodivergent issues). In: Y20 (Youth) Consultation on Health, Wellbeing and Sports for G20 countries. National Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences, 23-24 June 2023. Bengaluru: NIMHANS.
Supporting healing in women survivors of violence in low-resource settings: Reconciling the global and local to develop a mental health package of care. National Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences, 25 June 2023. Bengaluru: NIMHANS.
Adolescent perinatal mental health in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence. In: International Association of Women’s Mental Health (IAWMH), 9th World Congress on Women’s Mental Health: Determination and Solidarity. Maastricht, Netherlands, 6 – 9 November 2022. Maastricht: IAWMH.
Supporting healing in women survivors of violence in low-resource settings: Reconciling the global and local to develop a mental health package of care. In: International Association of Women’s Mental Health (IAWMH), 9th World Congress on Women’s Mental Health: Determination and Solidarity. Maastricht, Netherlands, 6 – 9 November 2022. Maastricht: IAWMH.
Keeping it together, when we have to be apart: Remote data collection for sensitive, participatory research. A case study from Sri Lanka. [online], 21 September 2022. University College London.
Launch of a minimum package of care for mental health in survivors of violence against women in Sri Lanka. Mumbai, India, 25-27 August 2022. SNEHA and NIHR Global Health Research Group.
Rethinking risk as a process: Illustrating the Pain Pathway model for self-harm in women and girls through the case of Sri Lanka. [online], 8 April 2022. Hanover College.
The Pain Pathway: A model for understanding self-directed violence in women and girls. In: Antigone Unravelled – Understanding Female Suicide A webinar by IAWMH for International Women's Day 2021. [online], 5 March 2021. International Association for Women’s Mental Health.
India’s Daughter and sexual violence against women: Where are we now? 16 Days of Activism programme. Colombo, Sri Lanka, 9 December 2019. British Council of Sri Lanka.
The myth of impulsivity: Trajectories of self-directed violence amongst women in Sri Lanka. In: Anthropological Perspectives on Global Challenges, ASA19. London, UK, 5 September 2019. Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth.
What impact looks like. Impact Workshop. London, UK, 6 February 2019. LSE PhD Academy.
Global Alliance Maternal Mental Health launch lecture: Addressing psychosocial vulnerabilities through the antenatal platform – depression, suicidal ideation and behaviour: A study of urban Sri Lankan women. In: International Marcé Society Biennial Scientific Meeting. Bengaluru, India, 26-28 September 2018. International Marcé Society.
Preliminary findings of the evaluation of UNICEF Kazakhstan’s school-based Adolescent Suicide Prevention Project. In: International Conference on Adolescent Mental Health. Almaty, Kazakhstan, 19-20 January 2018. Government of Kazakhstan and UNICEF Kazakhstan.
Introduction to psychological autopsy. Psychological autopsy and narrative training. Ragama, Sri Lanka, 23 July 2016. Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Training
Beyond the academy, I design and deliver training to diverse audiences keen to expand or refresh their learning on subjects related to violence and mental health, aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights, research methods, and more.
Recent invited trainings have been through:
The International Association for Women’s Mental Health
British Council
India's National Institute for Mental Health and Neuroscience
Sri Lanka Samaritans (Sumithrayo)
Early career researcher and activist networks in the UK and Global South
Capacity strengthening is a core part of my research praxis. I encourage reciprocal learning in my work with colleagues of all levels and aim to design opportunities to particularly boost the skills and confidence of early career researchers to value and practice high-quality global health research.
Recent original training courses include:
An Introduction to Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER)
Gender, Violence and Mental Health – a 10-day residential programme delivered in collaboration with invited partners from Chrysalis (Care Sri Lanka affiliate), WHO Sri Lanka, and select expert trainers in clinical, medico-legal, and research practice.
Teaching
I support formal teaching and education activities including lecturing in gender, violence and mental health, student evaluations, personal tutoring, and academic mentoring at University College London for clinical and non-clinical undergraduate and postgraduate students.
I supervise students at all levels, guest lecture at institutions in the US, UK, and South Asia, and support delivery of short courses for external learners.