Charlotte Watts

Professor Charlotte Watts is a leading academic in Social and Mathematical Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). She concurrently serves as the UK Department for International Development's Chief Scientific Advisor, emphasizing her dual role in academia and global policy. Her research focuses on preventing violence against women and girls, integrating gender equity into public health strategies, and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of interventions. Notable contributions include landmark trials demonstrating over 50% reduction in domestic violence through community-based programs. Watts advocates for addressing structural inequalities as core to global health equity.

Her work spans multiple low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on HIV prevention, microfinance empowerment programs, and policy advocacy. Key projects include the SASA! study in Uganda, the MAISHA trial in Tanzania, and the Samata intervention in India. She emphasizes the importance of rigorously tested evidence in shifting societal norms and has contributed to global frameworks like the WHO’s Violence Against Women studies.

Watts’ research highlights intersections between gender-based violence, mental health, and economic empowerment. Recent work addresses pandemic-related food security and the scalability of PrEP programs. Her career reflects a commitment to bridging academic research with actionable policy, particularly through cost-benefit analyses of preventive interventions.