Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Statement
I am a Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB).
I am a social psychologist who specialises in complex behavioural intervention development, optimisation and evaluation. My research focuses on addressing global challenges in sexual and reproductive health and maternal mental health.
Previously an awardee of a prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship at Queen’s University Belfast, I am currently co-leading a UKRI/MRC funded project in Southern Africa involving optimisation and evaluation of gender transformative sexual and reproductive health interventions for adolescents. I am also co-Principal Investigator of the CEDIL/DFID funded INVOLVE_FP Project, which involves a systematic review of interventions involving men and boys in low- and middle-income countries family planning.
I am an experienced public health researcher, having worked as principal investigator and co-investigator on a number of multi-disciplinary international studies involving several partner institutions. As co-investigator and lead researcher on the JACK Trial, which was funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), I co-led the design and development of a film-based sexual health intervention targeting teenage men, If I Were Jack, and managed its evaluation in a UK-Wide Randomised Controlled Trial. I also led a PHANI funded project to develop an integrated parent-based component involving animated films. The Jack Trial research has led to global collaborations involving the co-design of similar interventions in Southern Africa funded by the UK MRC Global Challenges Research Fund (MRC GCRF) and the UK Medical Research Council.
I enjoy contributing to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching across the university. I currently supervise several PhD projects, which focus on pregnancy loss, intimate partner violence, and maternal mental health.
Leadership Roles
- Postdoctoral Advisor, School of Nursing & Midwifery, QUB
- Network Lead (Northern Ireland Pregnancy Loss Research and Policy Network) A growing network of professionals in Northern Ireland with an interest in pregnancy loss practice, research and policy.
- Network Lead (INVOLVE_FP International Expert Advisory Group). A global network of experts in the involvement of men and boys in family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Fellows’ Ambassador, Faculty Postdoctoral Research Committee
- External Reviewer: Sex Education, BMC Public Health, PLOS Global Health, Campbell Collaboration, Women's Health, NIHR Public Health Research Programme, Psych, Journal of Family Violence, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Trials, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Expert Member, Trial Steering Committee for two projects (SIPS JR-HIGH and Care Pathways and Outcomes Study)
Funded Research Projects
- Optimisation and feasibility trial of a gender transformative Intervention for teenage men in South Africa and Lesotho,UKRI/MRC Global Adolescent Health Programme, £639,000,January 2021 – May 2023, Co-Principal Investigator with Dr Sarah Skeen (Stellenbosch University, South Africa).
- Involving Men and Boys in Family Planning: A systematic review of complex interventions to identify effective programme components and characteristics in low- and middle-income countries, CEDIL (UKAID/DFID),£200,000, March 2020 – July 2021, Co-Principal Investigator with Prof Maria Lohan.
- Reducing unintended teenage pregnancy and HIV rates in South Africa and Lesotho by involving adolescent boys: Co-design of a culturally sensitive, gender-transformative, community-based, educational intervention, Department for the Economy Northern Ireland Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) Award, £35,000, July 2019 – Dec 2019, Principal Investigator.
- Examining the characteristics, outcomes, and impact of a Gender Transformative approach with men and boys to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights; World Health Organisation, £64,150, May 2019-February 2020, Co-Investigator with Prof. Maria Lohan (PI) and others.
- Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, £40,000, Sept 2018 – Aug 2021, Principal Investigator.
- The JACK Trial: Evaluation of an interactive film-based intervention to reduce teenage pregnancy and promote positive sexual health, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), £1.7million, Jan 2017 – Dec 2020, Co-Investigator with Prof. Maria Lohan (PI) and others.
- JACK Trial: An intervention refinement to the parental component, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland Research and Development Office, Enabling Research Award, £35,742, May - Aug 2016, Principal Investigator.
- What young men need in relationship and sexuality education: evaluation of a targeted intervention, Health Service Executive Ireland, Crisis Pregnancy Programme, £60,300, Oct 2014 – Sept 2017, Co-Investigator with Prof. Maria Lohan (PI) and others.
- Increasing boys’ and girls’ intention to avoid teenage pregnancy: feasibility study and pilot RCT of an interactive video-drama based intervention in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), £300,749, May 2014 – Apr 2016, Co-Investigator with Prof. Maria Lohan (PI) and others.
Teaching roles
I currently lead and teach on the following postgraduate curricula:
- Module Co-ordinator: Public Health and Caring for People with Chronic Healthcare Needs, Graduate Entry Masters in Nursing (GEM 7102)
- Module Co-Ordinator: Quality Improvement in An Inter-Professional Context Part A, Graduate Entry Masters in Nursing (GEM7104)
- Module Co-Ordinator: Quality Improvement in An Inter-Professional Context Part B, Graduate Entry Masters in Nursing (GEM7105)
Research Interests
Maternal and Child Health; Reproductive Health; Sexual Health; Adolescent Health; Global Sexual and Reproductive Health; Parental Health; Mental Health; Pregnancy Loss; Miscarriage; Fatal Fetal Anomaly; Stillbirth; Prenatal Diagnosis; Digital Technology and Health Behaviour; Schools-based Randomised Controlled Trials; Complex Interventions; Programme Development and Evaluation; Systematic Reviews; Social Research Methodology
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R3180NUR: Involving Men and Boys in Family Planning: A systematic review to identify programme characteristics, and combinations of characteristics, that are associated with positive maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle income countries
Aventin, Á., Clarke, M., Hanratty, J., Lohan, M. & Tomlinson, M.
11/03/2020 → 31/03/2022
Project: Research
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R3139NUR: Reducing unintended teenage pregnancy and HIV rates in South Africa and Lesotho: Adaptation of a gender-transformative educational intervention targeting adolescent men
Aventin, Á., Clarke, M., Grant, D., Lohan, M., Lohfeld, L., Thurston, A. & Tomlinson, M.
13/05/2019 → 30/06/2020
Project: Research
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R6811NUR: An evaluation of If I were Jack in post-primary schools with regard to the Relationship and Sexuality Education requirements of teenage men
Lohan, M., Aventin, Á. & Kelly, C.
24/03/2014 → 30/09/2017
Project: Research
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Evaluation of a pregnancy loss education intervention for undergraduate nursing students in Northern Ireland: A pre- and post-test study
Galeotti, M., Heaney, S., Robinson, M. & Aventin, Á., 14 Aug 2023, In: BMC Nursing. 22, 10 p., 268 .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Downloads (Pure) -
Involving men and boys in family planning: A systematic review of the effective components and characteristics of complex interventions in low- and middle-income countries
Aventin, A., Robinson, M., Hanratty, J., Keenan, C., Hamilton, J., Ruane-McAteer, E., Tomlinson, M., Clarke, M., Okonofua, F., Bonell, C. & Lohan, M., 13 Jan 2023, In: Campbell Systematic Reviews. 19, 1, p. e1296 47 p., e1926.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile100 Downloads (Pure) -
Pregnancy loss following miscarriage and termination of pregnancy for medical reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic: a thematic analysis of women’s experiences of healthcare on the island of Ireland
Heaney, S., Galeotti, M. & Aventin, Á., 21 Jul 2023, In: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 23, 10 p., 529.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile9 Downloads (Pure) -
Prevalence of unwanted sexual experiences and their associations on university students in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland: a systematic review
Reynolds, M., Anyadike-Danes, N., Lagdon, S., Aventin, Á. & Armour, C., 28 Aug 2023, (Early online date) In: Journal of Sexual Aggression. 32 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
School-based relationship and sexuality education intervention engaging adolescent boys for the reductions of teenage pregnancy: the JACK cluster RCT
Lohan, M., Gillespie, K., Aventin, Á., Gough, A., Warren, E., Lewis, R., Buckley, K., McShane, T., Brennan-Wilson, A., Lagdon, S., Adara, L., McDaid, L., French, R., Young, H., McDowell, C., Logan, D., Toase, S., Hunter, R. M., Gabrio, A., Clarke, M., & 4 others , 01 Sep 2023, In: Public Health Research. 11, 8, p. 1-139 139 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Discretionary Award for Exceptional Performance
Aventin, Aine (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Vice Chancellor's Fellowship
Aventin, Aine (Recipient), 31 Aug 2018
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Vice-Chancellor's Fellowship
Aventin, Aine (Recipient), 30 Aug 2018
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Activities
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Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast Research Blitz
Mark Linden (Organiser), Gary Mitchell (Speaker), Gillian Carter (Speaker), Áine Aventin (Speaker), Karen McConnell (Speaker), Patrick Stark (Speaker), Sharon O'Donnell (Organiser), Louise Lynch (Speaker), Olayinka Aremu (Speaker), Louise McCulloch (Speaker), Brian Keogh (Speaker) & Mary Hughes (Speaker)
03 Nov 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Maymester - Belmont University USA
Fearghal Lewis (Organiser), Catherine Monaghan (Organiser), Aine Aventin (Organiser) & Monica Donovan (Organiser)
23 May 2022 → 24 May 2022Activity: Other activity types › Hosting a school group or open day
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Male Engagement in Family Planning: Systematic Review Evidence of Programme Evaluations
Maria Lohan (Invited speaker) & Aine Aventin (Invited speaker)
07 Apr 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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Involving men and boys in family planning (involve fp) in low- and middle-income countries: Informing future programming and research through systematic review evidence on programme characteristics
Maria Lohan (Invited speaker) & Aine Aventin (Invited speaker)
11 Feb 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Early Childhood Development and PeaceBuilding - Making the Links
Aine Aventin (Member of the organising committee)
24 May 2021 → 27 May 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Press/Media
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How parents should talk to their children about sex
22/09/2020
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities