Biography
Gertrude is a PhD researcher in the Department of International Development at King's College London. Her research sits at the intersection of psychology, sociology, migration, and diaspora studies, examining how diasporic identity is shaped across generations within Ghanaian families in the UK.
Prior to joining King's, Gertrude worked as an Independent Research and Evaluation Consultant, bringing over 12 years of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) expertise across public, private, and third sectors. She has partnered with leading national and international organisations to deliver evidence-based insights that drive meaningful change.
Gertrude holds an MA in Education and International Development from UCL Institute of Education and a BSc in Psychology from UCL. Her professional background also spans health and social care, where she has served as a Support Worker supporting those with learning and mental health difficulties and a Lived Experience Lead championing positive maternal outcomes and inclusive equitable practice. These roles have deeply informed her commitment to community-centred, equity-focused research.Her work is driven by a passion for amplifying seldom-heard voices and producing research that is both academically rigorous and socially impactful.
Research
Thesis title: 'Migration, Identity and the Intergenerational Family in the Ghanaian Diaspora'
Her research examines how diasporic identity is shaped across generations within Ghanaian families in the UK, with autoethnography providing its epistemological foundation. As a second-generation British-Ghanaian woman, Gertrude brings personal lived experience alongside academic rigour.
By centring the Ghanaian immigrant family as a primary site of socialisation, her work explores how family dynamics shape identity formation and cultural transmission across generations. Specifically, she investigates how migration pathways influence the intergenerational socialisation of cultural heritage and explore the continuities and divergences that emerge between and within generations.
By foregrounding lived family experiences, her research explores how diasporic identities are negotiated, preserved, and transformed over time, contributing to broader conversations about belonging, cultural reproduction, and the long-term sociopolitical consequences of migration.
PhD supervision
- Principal supervisor: Professor Julia Gallagher
- Secondary supervisor: Dr Aleida Mendes Borges
Research
Creative Contestations and Social Justice research group
This research group is concerned with social justice – spanning questions of equity and fairness, rights, accountabilities, participation, and inclusion. Our group members have a shared orientation towards critical scholarship and activism, and are committed to creative and interdisciplinary approaches.
Research
Creative Contestations and Social Justice research group
This research group is concerned with social justice – spanning questions of equity and fairness, rights, accountabilities, participation, and inclusion. Our group members have a shared orientation towards critical scholarship and activism, and are committed to creative and interdisciplinary approaches.