IGHD Doctoral Students
The doctoral students in the Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD) are studying a range of innovative topics which address societal issues by utilising theory-driven approaches and employing creative methodological techniques. Below please find brief profiles explaining the doctoral research being undertaken by students in this Research Centre.
Doctoral Research topic: My research is with a cohort of male asylum seekers in the Republic of Ireland who have received a positive decision on their asylum claim.听听I am exploring the role work plays with integration using Ager & Strang鈥檚 Indicators of Integration framework (IoI).听The IoI framework is being used because it provides 鈥渆lements central to the perception of what constitutes 鈥榮uccessful鈥 integration鈥.听
Doctoral Research methodological approaches: I am interpreting the men鈥檚 lived experiences through the lens of masculinity (my ontology). My epistemology is ethnography and I am analysing it using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.听听听
Keywords: refugees, masculinity, integration, employment, social policy听听听听
Supervisors: Dr Alison B. Strang, Oonagh O鈥橞rien
Doctoral Research topic: Living and coping with uncertainty. Exploring perceptions of persons living with HIV: A critical realist approach
Doctoral Research methodological approaches: A critical realist approach using semi-structured interviews and adopting abductive and retroductive modes of reasoning as well as memos for data analysis
Keywords: uncertainty, coping strategies, HIV, Critical Realism
Supervisors: Dr Georgina Pearson, Oonagh O鈥橞rien.
Doctoral Research topic: Strategies to Support Community Health Workers in Fragile Contexts: A Case Study of the Anglophone regions in Cameroon. This study seeks to inform CHWs programmes/strategies adapted to the specific context of the urban/peri-urban areas of the conflict-affected Anglophone regions of Cameroon to meet Community Health Workers' unique needs and the needs of the communities they serve.
Doctoral Research methodological approaches: I propose using a comparative case study design to achieve the study aim, focusing on Community Health Worker (CHW) programmes in two districts in the conflict-affected Anglophone regions of Cameroon 鈥 Bamenda and Buea Health Districts in the North West and South West regions, respectively. Using a qualitative approach in terms of methodology, I propose using key informant interviews with health policymakers, CHW programme managers, health workers, and community leaders and focus group discussions and work-life history interviews with a sample of CHWs.
Keywords: Human Resources for Health, Health System Strengthening, Health Policy, Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings, Fragility
Supervisors: Dr Karina Kielmann, Dr Maria P. Bertone
Doctoral Research topic: Community-based interventions for non-communicable disease prevention in fragile settings in sub-Saharan Africa
Doctoral Research methodological approaches: Realist review and a case study using qualitative semi-structured interviews听
Keywords: Community-based interventions, Realist review, Risk behavior, Non-communicable diseases
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Supervisors: Professor Sophie Witter & Dr Karin Diaconu听
Topic: My research concerns decision making in humanitarian surgical teams during armed conflict. This topic was selected based the lack of research on decision making at field level and on my 20-year professional experience as a medical/surgical coordinator during armed conflict in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
Doctoral Research methodological approach: A mixed methods approach is used to capture the decision making experiences of surgical personnel through their narrative testimony (qualitative methods) and the extent of these experiences among a representative group of surgical personnel through survey (quantitative methods).
Keywords: Humanitarian crisis, surgery, armed conflict, decision making
Supervisors: Dr. Carola Eyber, Dr. Rebecca Horn
Doctoral Research topic: Implementation of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) policy in Sierra Leone: My Ph.D. research explores the power dynamics, challenges, and opportunities faced by policy implementers at the national and sub-national levels.
Doctoral Research Methodological Approaches: This research will adopt a multisite ethnographic research methodology that combines ethnographic observations with In-depth interviews and a Power mapping exercise.听
Keywords: Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Policy, Sierra Leone, power, implementation.听
Supervisors: Professor Sophie Witter and Dr. Maria Bertone
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