PROJECTS

I build partnerships, manage relationships, and lead research to improve outcomes for populations in adversity. 

During my time with a donor organization, I set and funded research priorities to spur innovation in research and promote collaboration in the field. I also conduct qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research and was Principal Investigator on multiple studies that explored associations between girl child marriage, defined as union of a female before age 18, and women and children’s health and development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sample projects and consultancies I have led include:

  • “Transforming adolescent and young adult health through knowledge and action on gender-based violence”
    • A series of publications and workshops on behalf of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM)
    • As Lead Author and Liaison between the Violence Prevention and Diversity Committees, I led a 11-person expert group to write SAHM’s official positions on providing guidance to health professionals on best practices for addressing GBV among adolescents and youth. I also co-authored a commentary in the Journal of Adolescent Health and presented at annual workshops to train adolescent and youth-focused health professionals on addressing GBV.
  • “The Effects of Girl Child Marriage on Women and Children’s Health and Well-Being in Sub-Saharan Africa”
    • Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
    • As Principle Investigator, I designed and conducted a 6-part mixed methods research study to produce evidence detailing what child marriage is, why it’s important, and its impact on women and their children in different African settings. Results were published in various scientific journals and presented at several conferences. 
  • “Mariage et Bien-être en Guinée: Une Etude Qualitative” / “Marriage and Well-Being in Guinea: A Qualitative Study”
    • Funded by the Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard University Center for African Studies, and various funders from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
    • As Principle Investigator, under the mentorship of the late Dr. Paul Farmer, I designed and built a team to conduct a qualitative research study to understand how women who were married as children perceived child marriage impacted their health and their children’s health. Results were published in Social Science and Medicine and presented at various conferences. 
  • “Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health: Adolescent Childbearing in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel”
    • Commissioned by the World Bank Group
    • As a sub-contractor for Population Economics Research LLC, I conducted a literature review of proximate determinants of fertility for adolescent women (aged 15 to 19) across sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region and identified and summarized 80 academic articles describing fertility, marriage, contraception use, abortion, and post-partum infecundity for adolescent girls, and co-authored final report.
  • “Qualitative Study on Women’s Attitudes Towards the Relationship Between Children and Work in Bujumbura, Burundi” 
    • Commissioned by the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies; funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
    • As the qualitative field research lead, I implemented qualitative research study to understand women’s experiences with childbearing and work, to design Hewlett Foundation-funded family planning intervention (PIs: Dr. Jocelyn Finlay and Dr. David Canning). I was responsible for designing and training a qualitative research assistant, in French, and supervising on-ground technical logistics over four weeks in Burundi including recruitment of 40 participants and 10 focus groups/interviews. I also supported development of a published scholarly article and a successful US$500,000 grant for creating a local family planning intervention.
  • “Integrating Early Childhood Development and Violence Prevention to Improve Child Well-Being” 
    • Commissioned by the UBS Optimus Foundation
    • I led a team of 4 to implement a landscape analysis on state of evidence for programs integrating early childhood development and violence prevention (ECD+) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for the World Health Organization Integrating Violence Prevention into Early Child Development meeting, Mexico City. I led team in developing protocol for a qualitative stakeholder analysis and systematic review of 5500 articles, conducted and analyzed 17 interviews, and served as primary author for 3 reports and scholarly articles.
  • “A Qualitative Study of Challenges Facing War-Affected Youth in Sierra Leone”
    • Commissioned by the Research Program on Children and Global Adversity at the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights
    • To expand on work from the Longitudinal Study for War-Affected Youth in Sierra Leone (LSWAY), I analyzed 2 waves of qualitative data to understand youth and caregiver perspectives on consequences of long-term civil war on young people. Results, which identified concerns of basic needs in addition to mental and physical health, were published in first-authored manuscript in scholarly journal.

Sample partnerships and research I have conceptualized and provided funding for (through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) include: