People
Global health needs a global network
We are an interdisciplinary research centre, drawing on the expertise of academics across all three faculties at the University of Essex.
Essex Research Scientists
Senior Research and Project Manager
Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research, University of EssexMilena Simic is a Senior Research and Project Manager on GEMMs. After gaining MSc in statistics in Canada, she moved to the UK and focused on mixed-methods research and working with groups marginalised due to their health condition (HIV, leprosy), behaviour (sex workers, injecting drug users) or identity (LGBTQ+). She enjoyed conducting research and coordinating studies on HIV within academia (Imperial College, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and also coordinating evidence, research and response with charities (Lepra, Cancer Research UK).
Research Officer and Training Lead
Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research, University of EssexDr Roomi Aziz is a public health professional with more than ten years' experience. She is currently pursuing her PhD in public health at the University of Essex. Roomi is the regional coordinator for the Migration Health South Asia network, she is also coordinating the micro grant research projects in Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. She is also leading the Migration Health Research Priorities-setting exercise in Pakistan, and piloting of the Migrant Health Integration in Health Policy Barometer in Pakistan and Nepal.
Research Assistant
Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research, University of EssexDoofan Udendeh is a passionate Global Public Health professional and a recent MSc Global Public Health graduate from the University of Essex. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to intersectional health equity, health systems strengthening, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Her qualitative research focused on identifying pre-hospital system barriers contributing to inequities in stroke outcomes in East Suffolk and North Essex, shedding light on critical gaps in emergency care access. Prior to this, Doofan played a key role in designing, implementing, and evaluating SRHR interventions in Nigeria, with a particular focus on marginalized populations and humanitarian settings. As a member of the Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research (CGHIER), she contributed to impact documentation for the Centre’s flagship INNOVATE research project—a groundbreaking initiative that applies an intersectionality theory of change to tackle mental health disparities in Mid and South Essex.
Essex Institutional Members
Director
Institute for Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Researcher
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Researcher
Department of Government, University of Essex
Researcher
Essex Law School, University of Essex
Researcher
Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Researcher
Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex
Researcher
Essex Business School, University of Essex
Researcher
Essex Business School, University of Essex
Researcher
Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Advisory Team
Honorary Distinguished Scholar
President, World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA)Visiting and Associate Fellows
Dr George Kokkinidis
- Cyprus University of Technology
Dr George Kokkindis is an Assistant Professor in HRM at Cyprus University of Technology and a member of the COVER research centre, specialising in alternative forms of organising. His research draws from sociology, philosophy, political theory, urban studies and human geography.
His current research projects turn around social economy education and grassroot community health care initiatives, working closely with cooperatives, social clinics and community organisations.
Professor Mohsen Rezaei Hemami
- Toward Evidence
Professor Mohsen Rezaei Hemami is a health economist and epidemiologist with over 18 years' experience in academia. He is the founder of Towards Evidence supporting researchers to generate high quality evidence. He has built over 10 economic evaluation models (CEA, CUA) from scratch for different diseases including cancer, diabetes and liver disease. He has over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr Devanik Saha
- University of Greenwich
Dr Devanik Saha is a lecturer in Public Health at the University of Greenwich. His research focuses on gender and intersectionality, men and masculinities, maternal and reproductive health, migration health, global health security, education and international development.
He is a recipient of the Global Talent Visa by the UK Government in Public Health and Development and has worked as researcher for the Analysis and Mapping of Policies for Emerging Infectious Diseases (AMP EID). He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London (FRSA) and serves as a Country-of-Origin Expert for India at Communitology.
Dr Mariam Malik
- London Borough of Enfield
Dr Mariam Malik is a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Early Years, working in and across Children’s Centres in London Borough of Enfield. She specialises in working with under 2’s and their parents/carers.
Dr Steven Haworth
- University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr Steven Haworth is a Bio-Social researcher and a Senior Data Research Analyst at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has collaborated with national health agencies and governmental departments on several public health projects, including protecting rough sleepers against COVID-19 and modifying social prescribing processes for migrants.
Steven is experienced in analysing big data and is interested in the social determinants of health, inclusion health, and health inequalities.
