Toity Deave

Dr. Toity Deave is an Associate Professor in Family & Child Health at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), affiliated with the HAS - Nursing and Midwifery department within the Faculty of Health & Applied Sciences. They hold advanced qualifications including a PhD in Maternal & Child Health, an MSc in Epidemiology, and MMedSci in Primary & Community Care. Their clinical background in health visiting and community development informs their research focus on public health, injury prevention, and early childhood development, with a particular emphasis on fathers' roles and evaluation methodologies.

Research interests include perinatal parental well-being, child injury prevention, and the application of mixed methods in public health. Key areas of expertise extend to community development, health visiting practices, and evaluating primary health care initiatives. Dr. Deave has contributed to national and international studies, including projects in Nepal on injury epidemiology and interventions in the UK addressing parental well-being and pandemic-related child experiences. Their work often bridges clinical practice and policy, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to improve community health outcomes.

Publications highlight interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the 3W project evaluating wildlife and water initiatives, and studies on psychosocial distress in caregivers of children with visible differences. Dr. Deave’s research also addresses systemic issues like healthcare inequalities in prehospital births and the impact of digital tools (e.g., the Baby Buddy app) on maternal health. They are actively involved in global health research, particularly in low-income settings, and advocate for participatory methods to amplify children’s voices in public health decision-making.