A Malawian mental health expert has won a mental health research award for Malawi

Dr Sandra Jumbe has been awarded  a  fellowship by the African Academy of Sciences to progress her “youth mental health” research, in Malawi.

Dr Jumbe is a health psychologist  with expertise in health research and behaviour change solutions, focusing on how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness.

Her areas of expertise include developing and delivering health interventions in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Her current research interests are focused around understanding mental health and related problems e.g., substance use in Africa to inform development of effective interventions and treatments.

She has previously worked in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a primary care and mental health researcher, an assistant psychologist and in research governance.

She also consults on tailored stress management in organisations.

She is also a general adviser for in the NIHR Research Design Service London team based at Queen Mary University.

Her Other roles within the institute include as member of the WIPH Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) sub-group and the International Committee, and working with the Queen Mary Academy to deliver wellbeing workshops to postgraduate students and staff.

She is also part of the Queen Mary Africa Region Network which works to foster and strengthen research and academic collaborations between the university and the African continent.

Malawi has in the last few years witnessed deteriorating mental health among young people, including suicides and substance use and abuse.