Dr Isabelle Uny

I am a social scientist and expert qualitative researcher specialising in global health issues. My research interests are: 1- Household air pollution in informal settlements ( particularly from cooking/heating on solid fuels), with a particular interest in Africa ; I recently led this project in Kenya and Malawi: https://tinyurl.com/Fuel-to-Pot-study) 2- alcohol harms and alcohol policy implementation analysis. particularly in Africa and Latin America. I am the PI on the RAPSSA Project in Alcohol: Uganda & Malawi (https://tinyurl.com/55wupe42) and a Co-I on the IRAPS Project in Alcohol: Peru & Brazil (https://tinyurl.com/44jtt8bk)

My expertise is also in the domain of research capacity strengthening (RCS) which I have led on in a number of global health projects at ISMH. I lead the in the RCS programme in the REMAP project in Latin America (https://tinyurl.com/ym7bcbfs) , with a partner from Colombia.

I have significant expertise in qualitative methods and qualitative analysis well as in qualitative evidence synthesis. I have a growing interest and experience in new forms of data visualisation and participatory qualitative methods ( photovoice, walking interviews, visual mapping etc). The research projects I lead are embedded in community involvement and engagement . --I have been a mentor on the WHO Scientific Research and Writing Mentorship initiative towards diversity in research on alcohol control policies --I am a Board member of ICARA - the International Confederation of ATOD (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug) Research Associations (http://www.icara.info) , a consortium which works to support research associations with governance and capacity building. --I am also an Academic Adviser to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).

My primary research interests are twofold: 1) Household air pollution in informal settlements (particularly from cooking/heating on solid fuels); 2) alcohol harms and alcohol policy implementation analysis.

1) I am currently leading an MRC funded project evaluating policies regulating alcohol packaging in Uganda and Malawi and called RAPSSA (Regulating alcohol packaging and supply to protect health in Sub-Saharan Africa: lessons from policy systems in Malawi and Uganda (2022-2024; https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FV015257%2F1). I was also a Co-Investigator on the MRC funded IRAPS project, an Interdisciplinary Research into political interest, civil society support and available data to strengthen Alcohol Policy Systems in Brazil and Peru( 2021-2024; https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FT023139%2F1)

2) I recently led an AHRC -funded project called From fuel to pot (an interdisciplinary partnership to address the role of solid fuel use in food preparation in the household in Kenya and Malawi ( 2021-2023). You can read more at https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2023/april-2023-news/fuel-study-finds-staggering-pollution-levels-in-informal-settlements-in-africa/. Furthermore I was recently a Co-I on the COmmunities Facilitating incREasing Smoke-free Homes’ (CO-FRESH) project in Malaysia and Indonesia ( https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FW027801%2F1)

--I am also the research capacity strengthening (RCS) lead on the 3 year MRC funded project called REMAP "Removing the marketing power of cigarettes: A multi-method study aimed at protecting the health of adolescents" ( 2022-2025; https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FX004279%2F1)

As a global health researcher, I strive to apply a decolonised approach to my research with colleagues in the Global South.

I support teaching Units on the online module NURP024 - ( " Global Public Health policy").

I also co- supervise a PhD student on the DHET South Africa programme