Biography
I am Reader in Global Health & Conflict in the Department of War Studies.
I am Co-Director of the Conflict and Health Research Group (CHRG), a cross-faculty (5 KCL faculties) multi-disciplinary initiative to study the intersection of global health, security, and political governance in conflict-affected fragile states and regions. I am also Co-Principal Investigator for a £7million Global Challenges Research Funded (GCRF)/ESRC grant entitled ‘Research for Health in Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (R4HC-MENA)’.
I am primarily interested in improving the evidence-base for health systems, health policies and health outcomes for civilian populations affected by armed conflict. I have established an international reputation for conducting impactful and collaborative research on various topics including: aid trends in conflict-affected countries; non-communicable diseases (NCDs); health systems in conflict; and health and security. Prior to joining King’s College in 2008, I worked at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, investigating the role of the transnational tobacco industry in Africa and the role of global health in foreign policy. I have a PhD in Political Science (The Politics of Health in Kenya), a MA in International Relations and a BSc in Economics.
Teaching
I convene a conflict and health module for the MSc in Global Health and the intercalated BSc in Global Health at the King’s Centre for Global Health & Health Partnerships, based in the Faculty of Life Science and Medicine. Within my Department, I contribute to the Gender and International Politics and Security MA option module and the Security and Development MA Core Module.
Areas of Interest
My areas of interest include
- Research capacity building in conflict-affected countries
- Health systems in conflict-affected countries
- Non-Communicable Diseases in conflict-affected countries
- Health and Security (attacks on health workers and healthcare in areas of armed conflict)
- Innovation within humanitarian health emergencies
- Aid tracking and analysis in areas of conflict
- Gender and health in armed conflict
Publications
For a list of publications please refer to the Research Portal
PhD Supervision
I am currently supervising the following research students:
- Abdulkarim Ekzayez, A Case Study of the Syrian Conflict: Health System Governance
- Edwin Trevathan, Global Health Diplomacy; A United States Perspective
- Alastair Masser, The failure of United Kingdom-Nigerian security cooperation against Boko Haram 2010-2015