Melissa Cabecinha

Dr. Melissa Cabecinha is a Research Fellow and Scientific Co-ordinator at the Institute for Global Health, affiliated with the Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health at University College London (UCL). She focuses on improving health equity, health service access, and evidence-based policy, particularly in sexual health and infectious diseases. Her work includes projects under the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections, collaborating with the UK Health Security Agency.

Education:

• PhD in Public Health (UCL): Thesis titled 'Awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis among women in England: A mixed methods exploration through an equity lens.'
• MSc in Infection and Immunity (UCL)
• BSc in Microbiology (University of Victoria, Canada)

Research Interests: Melissa’s expertise spans health equity, public health policy, infectious disease epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and qualitative research methods. She leverages datasets like Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), and surveillance tools (e.g., GUMCAD) to analyze health service utilization and implementation challenges.

Collaborations & Engagement: She prioritizes community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). Her work emphasizes translating research into actionable policies to improve healthcare accessibility and equity.