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Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health , Vanderbilt University

I am an anthropologist and epidemiologist specializing in implementation and dissemination science in global health settings. I am a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy, based in the Institute for Global Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. My intervention research has focused on engaging male partners to increase uptake of ANC services among pregnant woman (including HIV testing and treatment), hospital delivery, and post-natal care services in Nigeria, South Africa, and Mozambique. To engage male partners I have led several studies designed to encourage behavior-change through the de-stigmatizing of negative gender roles, the incorporation of traditional birth attendants into the health system, and changes in clinical flow- including the inclusion of male partners in ANC visits. Funded by an R01 from NIMH, I am creating a new system for engaging HIV+ expectant couples in HIV care and treatment in Mozambique. In addition to my work with male partners, I have spent 8 years documenting treatment practices among traditional healers in South Africa and Mozambique. Funded by a K01 award from NIMH, I am developing a program to integrate traditional practitioners in patient referral and continuing care for newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients. Specifically, I am working to create a new implementation science methodology to predict successful delivery of community-based health services by minimally-trained community health volunteers, including traditional healers, as they have been retained in large numbers in HIV and TB programs worldwide.

Experience

  • –present
    Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health , Vanderbilt University