People

Dr. Franziska Meinck (University of Edinburgh): Principal Investigator

Dr. Nicola Christofides (University of the Witwatersrand): Co-Investigator

Nicola Christofides is an associate professor in the School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand. She heads up the Master of Public Health programme and a Division on Health and Society within the School. Nicola has more than 20 years’ research experience in the area of gender-based violence, HIV, and evaluating social and behaviour change programmes. Her research has focused on how services for survivors of sexual violence are delivered, as well as the role that gender-based violence plays in reproductive and sexual health outcomes. Previously, Nicola was the Principal Investigator on a What Works innovation grant that evaluated the Sonke community mobilization and advocacy intervention to reduce men’s perpetration of violence against women.

Dr. Nataly Woollett (University of the Witwatersrand): Co-Investigator

Dr. Woollett is an interdisciplinary social scientist and therapist with training in psychology, art therapy, and play therapy. Her clinical practice has focused on trauma, bereavement, gender based violence and the associated mental health issues of HIV. Dr. Woollett’s research is strongly informed by her therapeutic practice, with a consequent emphasis on mental health, arts-based methods and intervention research.

Dr. Hannabeth Franchino-Olsen (University of Edinburgh): Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Franchino-Olsen is postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Edinburgh focusing on issues of violence against children, gender-based violence, and intergeneration violence transmission. Her training and expertise centre on gender-based violence, maternal and child health, population health, and human trafficking. Her research focuses on intersectional nature of violence across the life course using the lens of polyvictimization to illuminate links between forms of violence in order to prevent violence for children, adolescents, and young adults and to halt violence transmission across family generations.

Kopano Monaisa (North-West University): PhD student & project manager

Mpho Silima (University of the Witwatersrand): PhD student & project manager

Christina Thurston (University of Edinburgh): PhD student

Christina is a third-year ESRC-funded PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is supervised by Dr Franziska Meinck and Dr Aja Murray. Her PhD is investigating whether government-level interventions can mitigate the impact of childhood adversity on mental ill-health outcomes in South Africa. Christina is specifically interested in longitudinal research that explores causal risk and protective pathways from childhood adversity to later life psychopathology. Prior research Christina has undertaken has explored the relationship between childhood adversity and schizotypal traits in Northern Irish emerging adults. Christina holds an MSc in the Psychology of Childhood Adversity (Queen's University, Belfast) and an MA(Hons) in Psychology (University of Dundee).

Study Staff

Dr. Motlalepule Nathane-Taulela (University of the Witwatersrand): Social work supervisor

Pfumelani Ezeen: Social worker

Khutso Mnisi: Fieldwork supervisor

Tiyani Mulhovo: Fieldwork supervisor