Helen Verdeli is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, affiliated with the Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology. She holds a Ph.D. from Yeshiva University and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics. Her research focuses on adapting evidence-based psychotherapies—particularly Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)—for depression treatment in culturally diverse, low-resource communities globally, including conflict zones and humanitarian settings. Her scholarly work emphasizes cultural adaptation methodologies , randomized controlled trials in global contexts, and scalable mental health interventions. Research spans Uganda (rural communities and IDP camps), India (primary care systems), and military families, addressing depression in vulnerable populations like adolescents, refugees, and war survivors. Publications demonstrate consistent themes: cultural validation of therapies, task-sharing models using lay health workers, and sustainable implementation in under-resourced regions. Recent work prioritizes feasibility, scalability, and equity in global mental health care delivery. No awards, students, or grants are mentioned in the provided materials.
Professor Nathan Congdon is a leading academic in ophthalmology and public health at Queen's University Belfast's Centre for Public Health. His research focuses on preventing vision impairment in low-resource settings, particularly in LMICs, with emphasis on myopia prevention, cataract surgery outcomes, glaucoma, and diabetic eye disease. He actively supervises PhD students in areas like myopia correction strategies, cataract surgery outcomes in underserved regions, and chronic eye disease management in rural Asia. Research interests include global health equity, clinical trial design for vision interventions, and translational research bridging epidemiology and clinical practice. Notable projects include the 'Bright Classroom' trial for myopia prevention and the CLEVER study on vision exams' cognitive benefits. He has secured funding for 13 active projects since 2016, including cluster-randomized trials and longitudinal studies in China, India, and Nigeria. Awards include the APAO Prevention of Blindness Award (2007) and Heed Fellowship (1997). Media highlights include interviews in the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal on vision care's socioeconomic impacts. Collaborations span international institutions, with recent work focusing on Nigeria's children's eye services and India's elderly cognition-vision link. He organizes global health symposia and contributes to datasets on spectacle access and public health barriers.
Dr. Shane Cullinan is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the MPharm program at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences. He holds a PhD in Pharmacy from University College Cork (UCC) and has extensive experience in both clinical pharmacy practice and academic roles. His research focuses on optimizing prescribing practices in older adults, medication safety, eHealth solutions, and health professions education. Education: Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), University College Cork, 2004–2008 PhD in Pharmacy (Investigating Inappropriate Prescribing in Older Patients), University College Cork, 2012–2015 Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, RCSI, 2016–2017 Research Interests: His work centers on improving medication safety through eHealth technologies, geriatric pharmacy practice, and optimizing prescribing in populations with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. He has contributed to European clinical trials (FP7 and Horizon2020) evaluating software tools for prescribing optimization. Grants & Funding: HRB Postdoctoral Internship Programme (2021–2024) RCSI-funded projects on eHealth validation and professional doctorate programs Teaching & Supervision: He leads modules in endocrine systems, public health, and contributes to clinical pharmacy education across undergraduate programs. Supervision includes thesis topics on eHealth technologies, prescribing competence, and EHR impact analysis. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with RCSI’s research clusters in Endocrinology, Health Professions Education, and Population Health.
Elaine Hay is a Professor of Community Rheumatology at Keele University and Director of the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre and iPCHS. She holds an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist role at the Haywood Hospital. Her academic journey includes a MD from the University of Sheffield and clinical training in Manchester. Professor Hay has been pivotal in translating musculoskeletal research into clinical practice, influencing national guidelines on osteoarthritis and back pain. Her work spans randomized trials evaluating non-pharmacological treatments, service redesign in primary care, and improving healthcare outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions. Research interests focus on optimizing primary care management of chronic pain conditions, including low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. She leads large-scale trials such as the STarT MSK initiative and the BEEP trial, emphasizing stratified care approaches. Her work has shaped policy through contributions to NICE guidelines and the Department of Health Musculoskeletal Services Framework. Professor Hay chairs the Arthritis Research UK Musculoskeletal Pain Clinical Studies Group and serves on national panels for research funding and evaluation. She actively mentors doctoral students, having supervised 9 completed higher degrees and currently guiding 3 PhD candidates. Her research infrastructure includes the Clinical Education Centre at Keele University and collaborations with NHS Trusts, ensuring translational impact in musculoskeletal care delivery.
Professor Jonathan C Hill is a leading academic in musculoskeletal (MSK) pain research at Keele University's School of Allied Health Professions. With over two decades of experience, he has transformed global clinical practice through his development of stratified care models like the STarT Back Tool and MSK Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ), the latter adopted by over 500 NHS Trusts. His work spans large multi-centre clinical trials, digital health innovations, and international collaborations across nine countries. Key Research Areas: MSK pain assessment, stratified care implementation, digital clinical decision support systems, outcome measure validation Current Projects: MIDAS data linkage, STarT MSK trial, Back-UP Horizon 2020 initiative, SupportBack2 trial His teaching includes postgraduate research methods and specialized courses on complex pain management. Professor Hill supervises a robust research team and has secured over £7 million in grants, including a £4.58M EU Horizon 2020 award. He has mentored 6 PhD students (4 completed) and numerous early-career researchers across disciplines. Scientific Awards : NIHR Doctoral Fellowship for tennis elbow research Keele Doctoral Fund for FSHD rehabilitation EU Horizon 2020 grant for Back-UP project NHSx Digital Project funding for FCP MSK optimization As Director of Research for Allied Health, he drives digital transformation in primary care pathways while maintaining active collaboration with institutions in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the US. His research continues to shape national and international MSK policy, including NICE guidelines and Danish Health Authority protocols.
Dr. Maggie Stedman-Smith is an Associate Professor in Environmental Health Sciences at Kent State University's College of Public Health. With over 10 years of clinical experience as a perinatal nurse, her research focuses on occupational health promotion, particularly strategies to reduce communicable disease transmission in workplace settings through improved hand hygiene practices. Research Focus: Hand hygiene interventions for workplace illness prevention Photovoice methodologies in environmental health research Community-based participatory approaches Influenza prevention in occupational settings Key Contributions: Dr. Stedman-Smith has led randomized trials demonstrating the effectiveness of hand hygiene programs in reducing office-based infections. Her pioneering work with Photovoice has documented community concerns about pesticide exposure and established frameworks for academic-community partnerships. Research has been supported by GoJo Industries and institutional grants.
Maggie Stedman-Smith is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University, with a joint appointment in Environmental Health Sciences. She joined Kent State in 2009, bringing over 10 years of clinical experience in perinatal nursing and occupational health. Her research focuses on occupational health promotion for reducing communicable infectious diseases in workplace environments, particularly through hand hygiene interventions. Education includes a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Minnesota (2008), MPH in Environmental Health (Minnesota, 2004), and MSN in Nursing (Minnesota, 2004). Research employs mixed-methods approaches including community-based participatory research (Photovoice), cluster randomized trials, and behavioral surveys. Publications examine hand hygiene practices, workplace wellness programs, influenza prevention, and environmental health education. Recent work includes studies on employee hand hygiene behaviors, community perceptions of pesticide exposure risks, and evaluations of community-academic partnerships. Research funding has been secured from Kent-Summa Initiative for Clinical and Translational Research/GoJo Industries and Kent State University. Practice experience informs research agenda, with consistent focus on translating evidence into practical workplace health interventions. Service includes advancing public health education through technology-enhanced learning modules.
Hye-Ryen Jang is a Lecturer at the Australian Catholic University (ACU), affiliated with the Faculty of Education and Arts and the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education. Her work focuses on educational psychology, particularly the intersection of teacher behavior, student engagement, and classroom climate. She explores how autonomy-supportive teaching strategies influence both student outcomes and broader social dynamics, such as teacher-to-parent spillover effects and peer victimization reduction. Her research also extends to theoretical frameworks like self-determination theory and its applications in education and intervention design. Her research interests emphasize understanding motivational processes in educational settings, including the effects of instructional goals, harmonious passion development among teachers, and reciprocal relationships between agentic engagement and autonomy support. She employs experimental and longitudinal methodologies to investigate these dynamics, frequently collaborating with institutions like the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education. Her articles highlight trends in intervention studies, meta-analytic approaches, and the analysis of prosocial/antisocial behaviors in students. She consistently advocates for autonomy-supportive pedagogical strategies as a cornerstone for fostering positive educational climates.
Jaskaran Basran is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby's College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. His research focuses on compassion-focused interventions, mindfulness, and group therapies for mental health conditions. Dr. Basran's work explores therapeutic applications of compassion in clinical and community settings, including compassion-focused group therapy for bipolar disorder, music-based compassion interventions, and cross-cultural validation of compassion scales. His recent studies examine psychological responses to collective stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows consistent focus on developing and validating psychological instruments for compassion and mindfulness, along with interventions targeting mood disorders and social connectedness. Temporal trends reveal increasing methodological sophistication including multinational studies, physiological measurements, and clinical trials. He collaborates extensively with international teams on cross-cultural validation of psychological scales and multi-country studies on trauma responses. Dr. Basran contributes to advancing measurement methodologies in clinical psychology through item response theory and multilevel modeling approaches.
Joon Ha is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Howard University. His research applies mathematical modeling and statistical analysis to diabetes pathophysiology, focusing on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and early diabetes prediction using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) dynamics. His research focuses on mathematical modeling of glucose-insulin dynamics, early diabetes detection strategies, ethnic disparities in diabetes pathogenesis, and machine learning applications for metabolic health prediction. Publications demonstrate extensive work on refining OGTT interpretation (particularly 1-hour glucose thresholds), developing mathematical models of insulin sensitivity/secretion, and validating risk prediction models across diverse populations, with recent emphasis on machine learning and ethnic-specific diagnostic criteria.
Thando Katangwe-Chigamba is a Research Fellow and Process Evaluation Lead at the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit within Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA), and serves as an NIHR Research Design Service Advisor reviewing funding proposals. Her work focuses on mixed-methods evaluation of health service and social care interventions through randomized controlled trials. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice (2015) and NIHR-funded MSc in Clinical Research from UEA, and commenced her PhD in 2016 investigating diabetes prevention in community pharmacies using COM-B behaviour change frameworks. During doctoral studies, she worked part-time as an Associate Tutor in Pharmacy Practice. Her research spans process evaluation in clinical trials, behaviour change interventions, adolescent mental health, vaccination uptake, foster care wellbeing, and health disparities among minority ethnic groups. She employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess complex interventions in real-world settings, with emphasis on implementation fidelity and contextual factors. Recent publications reveal strong thematic focus on care home interventions (influenza vaccination, venous leg ulcers), foster care programs, adolescent mental health services, and culturally adapted lifestyle interventions for minority populations. These studies consistently address health equity and implementation challenges in community and social care contexts. As an NIHR Research Advisor, she contributes to funding proposal reviews. Current projects include NIHR-funded BRaINS-TBI (2025-2028) and LIMITLESS 2 (2024-2027), alongside completed work on FluCare, ITCHI VLU, and Research Capability Funding with NHS Norfolk & Waveney. She is embedded in the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit and her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health equity and wellbeing, particularly through addressing health disparities in vulnerable populations.
Anna Varley is a Senior Research Associate at the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, specializing in public health research with a focus on social work applications, addiction, and healthy aging. She holds dual degrees from the University of East Anglia: a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and History (1998-2001) and a Master of Arts in Social Work (2003-2005). Her research interests span tobacco cessation interventions, particularly among vulnerable populations including homeless individuals and coastal communities, vaping behavior among youth, geriatric care for older adults with cognitive impairments, and health disparities in cancer prevention. She employs diverse methodologies including qualitative analysis, ethnographic observation, randomized controlled trials, and AI-based analysis of longitudinal health data. Varley's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical public health interventions addressing real-world challenges. Her work shows consistent themes of addressing health disparities, developing tailored interventions for specific populations, and employing mixed-methods approaches to understand both the effectiveness and implementation challenges of health interventions. She has particular expertise in adapting research frameworks like TIDieR for complex intervention development in challenging contexts. She is actively involved in multiple significant research projects funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Cancer Research UK, including the SCeTCH trial on smoking cessation for homeless populations, the PREDICT-GI-IRON study, anxiety assessment validation in stroke patients, the e-SIGN project for cancer prevention, and the InflAIM project examining multimorbidity through AI analysis. Her collaborative network spans multiple institutions and disciplines, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her work at the intersection of public health, social work, and clinical medicine. Her research has garnered attention across various platforms with significant social media engagement and news coverage.
Bjarne Kjær Ersbøll is a Professor in Statistics and Data Analysis at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, DTU Compute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). He has held academic positions since 1983, progressing from Research Assistant (1983-1986) to Full Professor (2010-present). His research focuses on applied statistics, data analysis, and their applications in industrial and medical projects, emphasizing collaborative solutions with industry and institutions. He holds M.Sc. (1983) and Ph.D. (1990) degrees from DTU. Key research interests include image analysis, multivariate statistics, and big data methodologies. He has supervised numerous master’s and Ph.D. theses and organized conferences on image analysis and statistics. Notable projects include studies on environmental contaminants in food, cardiovascular mortality linked to drinking water magnesium, and interventions in childhood dietary habits. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption. Recent publications highlight trends in public health (e.g., dietary interventions), environmental science (e.g., PFAS in eggs), and machine learning applications (e.g., deep learning for quality assessment). He actively participates in academic activities, including lecturing on applied statistics and supervising interdisciplinary projects.
Henriette Prast is a Full Professor (0.4 FTE) at the Finance Department of Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg University, where she has been faculty since 2005. She is affiliated with Netspar and serves as a Member of the Senate of the Netherlands since 2005. Her external positions include non-executive board member and chairperson of the audit committee of de Staatsloterij, non-executive board member of AZL pension solutions, and membership in various think tanks for Dutch ministries. Professor Prast's research spans behavioral economics with policy implications, focusing on personal finance (particularly pensions, aging and retirement), health-related behavior, and sustainability. Her current research examines metaphors in investor communication, gender differences in financial attitudes and behavior, and commitment schemes to help individuals achieve financial and health goals. She ranks among the Volkskrant Top 200 most influential people in the Netherlands since 2008. Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent productivity with 273 research outputs, showing particular publication intensity between 2010-2011. Her recent work shows interdisciplinary connections between behavioral economics, public health, and policy implementation, with growing emphasis on sustainability applications of behavioral insights. #108 in list of 200 most influential people in the Netherlands (2013) #2 in top ten of most modest "media economists" in the Netherlands (2013) #3 in Mediatop (2006) #43 in ESB Poldertop of Dutch economists (2009) #52 in list of 200 most influential people in the Netherlands (2011) Multiple policy impact recognitions from Dutch ministries Professor Prast actively contributes to policy discussions through her Senate membership and various advisory roles. Her research has practical applications in pension communication, financial decision making, and health behavior interventions. She has supervised multiple PhD students and research projects, though specific names aren't listed in the provided material. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to economic growth, reduced inequalities, and good health. She leads research collaborations across economics, psychology, and public health domains, with notable work on cluster randomized trials examining lottery-based interventions for health behavior change. Her research group connects academic insights with practical policy applications through Netspar and various government think tanks.
Simon Cooper is Professor at Nottingham Trent University researching cognitive-physiological interactions in exercise contexts. His work examines acute and chronic effects of physical activity on executive function across developmental stages, with particular focus on neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD. Intervention designs incorporate game-based high-intensity training and environmental modifications. Current projects investigate: 1) Cognitive benefits of outdoor vs. indoor physical activity; 2) Motor coordination as mediator between activity and executive function; 3) Teacher-led active mathematics interventions; and 4) Normative motor development benchmarks. Applied research includes sports concussion epidemiology in English football and cooling strategies for cognitive protection during heat exposure. Methodological contributions encompass network analysis of motor skills in 16,989 children, meta-analyses of self-control mechanisms, and randomized controlled trials testing game-based HIIT protocols. Research outputs consistently bridge sports science, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.
