Biography
Sohail is investigating the impact of the UK asylum process on mental health, with a particular focus on Iranian and Afghan people seeking asylum. The initial part of his research is an ethnography trying to understand how researchers can work with asylum seekers in a non-exploitative, more equitable manner. He has also conducted a wide-ranging systematic review on post-migration social environmental risk factors for mental health in people seeking asylum.
Sohail has almost a decade of experience as a research analyst for private companies, charities and government. He holds a BA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge, an MSc from LSE in Political Sociology and an MSc in Applied Mental Health from KCL. He has been awarded the ESRC 1+3 bursary for PhD studies, Trust for London Scholarship for Campaign Bootcamp training and a Public Engagement Grant from KCL and the Wellcome Trust. Sohail has worked as a lecturer for UCL on migration and mental health.
Research Interests
- Forced migration and mental health
- Participatory methods
- Research ethics
- Colonialism and migration
Teaching
Sohail has assisted with teaching and led seminars on mental health research, qualitative research methods and systematic reviews, as well as marking exams and coursework for MSc and BA students. He is currently supervising a medical student on their dissertation project.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Sohail has spent the last 7 years working on different projects around migration and migrant rights, including starting the Migrant Connections Festival, the Walk and Talk Migrant Welcome Tours and the anti-colonial group Speaking Statues. He has delivered trainings and talks on the asylum process and is currently writing a report for free movement for campaigning organisation Global Justice Now.