POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr Justin Dixon
I am a medical anthropologist whose research combines social theory and a range of methods to understand global health challenges. After studying anthropology at the University of Cape Town, I completed my PhD research at Durham University focusing on the ethics of clinical trials in South Africa. I am the social science coordinator of the FCDO-funded FIEBRE study in Africa and Asia. I am co-investigator on a Wellcome-funded study examining the effects of mass typhoid vaccination on antimicrobial prescribing in Harare. As a recently-awarded Wellcome Trust Humanities and Social Science Fellowship I will be working with a wide range of disciplines and domains of expertise to develop an interdisciplinary framework for tackling the rising challenge of multimorbidity in the global south. I am a mentor for the Fleming Fund Fellowship scheme in Zimbabwe.
Dr Chido Dziva Chikwari
I am an Epidemiologist with a background in Biomedical Science with Business. My main research areas are evaluating strategies to improve the implementation of HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health interventions for adolescents and young people. I am currently a study coordinator for CHIEDZA trial and the STICH study which is nested within CHIEDZA. I am also part of the planning team for the Youth Researchers Academy (YRA) in Zimbabwe.
Dr Felicity Fitzgerald
I am a Wellcome Senior Clinical Research Fellow in paediatric infectious diseases based between Imperial College London and BRTI, Harare. I am working on a portfolio of studies investigating neonatal sepsis infection control and antibiotic resistance based in the neonatal unit at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital with my collaborators Dr Gwen Chimhini and Dr Simba Chimhuya. Working with Professor Michelle Heys at UCL and the wider Neotree team, we introduced tablet-based electronic medical records using the Neotree application at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital and Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, and are hoping to extend Neotree to Primary Healthcare Clinics in the coming years. I have recently been awarded a Wellcome Trust Early Career Award and so plan to spend the next 5 years using Neotree data to develop an improved diagnostic tool for neonatal sepsis in Zimbabwe. Exciting times!
Dr Constance Mackworth-Young
I am a Medical Anthropologist, with a research focus on young people, sexual and reproductive health, and participatory qualitative methodologies. My research is based in Zimbabwe, with THRU Zim where I am the social science lead.
I was previously based at Zambart in Zambia, where I conducted studies with young people, and conducted my PhD, explored the impact of HIV on the everyday lives of young women through ethnographic study in Lusaka, Zambia.
I hold an undergraduate degree in Biological and Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health and a PhD, both from LSHTM.
Dr Edith Majonga
I am a postdoctoral research fellow with BRTI and a lecturer (part-time) in the Department of Medical Physics and Imaging Sciences at University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences. I attained my PhD at LSHTM. I also hold an MSc and BSc in Radiography from National University of Science & Technology and the University of Zimbabwe, respectively. My current work focuses on vascular assessment using non-invasive techniques including vascular ultrasound, pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilation and peripheral artery tonometry in collaboration with Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London. I am also preparing for a study on myocardial disease characterisation using magnetic resonance imaging in young people with HIV where we will be collaborating with experts from Oxford Centre for Magnetic Resonance (OCMR), University of Oxford.
Dr Mandikudza Tembo
I am a public health specialist with a focus on menstrual health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health service delivery, and public engagement. Currently, I am a Reckitt Global Health Institute post-doctoral fellow leading an innovative project focusing on women and menstruation across the life-course and on the co-creation of a menstrual health toolkit with women, healthcare providers, and other relevant stakeholders in rural and urban communities across Zimbabwe. I am also the public engagement lead for THRU ZIM and am involved in several public engagement research projects including the Youth Researchers Academy (YRA) and Health Ageing. I hold a PhD (Epidemiology) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an MSc in Global Health and Development from UCL and a BA in Public Health and Women's Gender Studies.
Dr Rudo Chingono
I am a Social Scientist and global mental health researcher based at The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe at BRTI. I have a PhD, with University College London, which focused on the burden of maternal mental health on mother’s living with HIV and its impact on their parenting abilities. My work has included research on HIV/AIDS, mental health, adolescents’ reproductive health, maternal and child health, antimicrobial resistance and more recently infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases. I am currently the co-investigator on an UKRI funded study exploring the impact of setting up community hypertension groups in Zimbabwe. Recently, I was awarded the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene early career researcher award to co-design a mental health intervention that uses health promotion approaches in improving maternal mental health. I am one of the training and mentorship leads at THRU ZIM.
Dr Cliff Zinyemba
I am a Health Geographer with a PhD in Public Health from the University of Cape Town. My PhD characterized the role of climate change as a health risk perpetuating factor, focusing on pesticide exposure risks and endocrine disruption health outcomes. I have a keen interest in understanding the influence of contextual factors and spatial variations in health, health outcomes and environmental exposures. My research approach integrates qualitative social science methodologies with laboratory and computer-based investigative methods. I am currently a "Peter Piot Fellow for Global Health Innovation: Planetary Health" funded by the Peter Piot Fellowship for Global Health Innovation scheme within the Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health (CCCPH) at LSHTM. I am conducting a One Health study of WASH and Biosecurity interventions for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Zimbabwean urban backyard agriculture using a combination of microbiology and citizen science qualitative analyses. Before joining THRU-ZIM, I was a Lecturer in Occupational and Environmental Health in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe.
Dr Kalpana Sabapathy
I am a practising clinician and clinical epidemiologist working in international health since 2004. I have recently been awarded a Wellcome Trust fellowship to examine hypertension in early adulthood in Zimbabwe. I am also PI on a study examining community approaches to improving detection and monitoring of high blood pressure in Zimbabwe, funded by the Medical Research Council. I previously worked in HIV, as an investigator on the landmark HPTN 071 (PopART) trial, leading nested studies on the acceptability of the PopART testing and treatment interventions in Zambia and South Africa (2012 – 2019) and was Academic Clinical Fellow in genito-urinary medicine and HIV at Imperial College NHS Trust (2010 – 2012). I first worked in Zimbabwe when I was HIV Advisor for Medecins Sans Frontieres (2007 – 2010), working with colleagues to implement early antiretroviral treatment programmes in Epworth and Gweru. I mentor on B-MEntor which is a cross-institutional mentoring scheme for Black, Asian, Mixed and minority ethnic (BAME) academics and researchers, and I co-lead a cardio-vascular research group at THRU-Zim. I am committed to contributing to the capacity enhancement and career progression of my colleagues and other early career researchers.
Dr Cythia Kahari
I am a diagnostic radiographer with experience in bone densitometry research utilising dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and now peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). I am pursuing a PhD with LSHTM, focusing on use of pQCT in HIV infected patients. The aim of my research is to understand the effect of HIV and its treatment on pQCT measured trabecular and cortical bone architecture at different time points through the life course in two independent populations in sub-Saharan Africa. I have a BSc (honours) in Radiography and an MPhil, both from the University of Zimbabwe. My MPhil research was on bone mineral density in adult healthy Zimbabwean women.
Dr Collins Timire
I hold a BSc (Hons) Medical Laboratory Sciences from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master of Public Health (First Class) from the Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand). Currently I am a PhD Fogarty Fellow registered at LSHTM and focuses on the impact of tuberculosis on the livelihoods of patients and their households. I am a Senior Operational Research Fellow with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), seconded to the National TB Control Programme, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe. In this capacity I have published at least 34 articles in peer-reviewed journals. I also provide mentorship during national and international Structured Operational Research and Training IniTiative (SORT IT) operational research workshops conducted by the World Health Organisation/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and The Union.