I am a Professor of Social Science and Health. My research focusses on men’s health and especially engaging men and boys in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As part of this research, I conduct systematic reviews, and co-design and rigorously evaluate interventions to address the Sustainable Development Goals of health for all and gender equality.

For the past four years, I have also worked as a consultant to the World Health Organization, Human Reproduction Programme. As part of this work, I led with the WHO systematic reviews of the evidence on global programming to engage men and boy in SRHR and especially focussing on gender-transformative programming which foregrounds challenging gender inequalities to improve health for all.  I am now leading a team (based at Stelenbosch University, The University of Western Cape and Queen's University) to work with WHO and MenEngage to develop a future research agenda for this field. Together we will generate a global network of stakeholders  in the field of engaging men and boys in SRHR and a scientific and inclusive research priority setting exercise to address the sustainable development goals relating to health and gender equality.

I have led multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary research projects funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Medical Research Council, and the National Institute of Health Research. This research programme has resulted in the design and evaluation of relationship and sexuality education interventions in schools – the Jack Trial – https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/if-i-were-jack/ and novel relationship and sexuality education with young men in prisons https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/if-i-were-jack/InPrisons/IfIWereaDad/.

This research has also led to internatioanal collaborations to adapt these interventions in Uruguay, Colombia and South Africa, led by other scholars in the field, and funded by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Medical Research Council Global Challenges Research Fund (MRC GCRF).

I have previously served for six years as Director of Research for my School and as Lead for Maternal and Child Health.

Leadership Roles (QUB)

Member of Queen’s Gender Initiative Executive Committee

Member of University Research Horizons Group 

Member of Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Account Steering Committee 

Member of Queen's Engaged Research Advisory Group

Leadership Roles (External)

Consultant to the World Health Organisation, Department of Reproductive Health

Member of Medical Research Council Global Health Faculty of Experts

Associate Editor of BMC Public Health

Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Men’s Social and Community Health

External Assessor for Faculty Promotions at UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Member of the ESRC College of Reviewers

Member of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Reviewers

Member of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) Reviewers

Member of Promundo's Global Boyhood Initiative Advisory Board

Currently Funded Research Projects

1. Research consultancy on the engagement of men and boys in sexual and reproductive health and rights. World Health Organization, Geneva.

2. ‘The Jack Trial’: A multi-site cluster randomised trial of an interactive film-based intervention to reduce teenage pregnancy and promote positive sexual health. National Institute of Health Research (NIHR, UK).

3. Relationships and Future Fatherhood Programme for Young Incarcerated Men: Co-design and development of an Intervention. Medical Research Council, UK.

4.Involving Men and Boys in Family Planning (INVOLVE_FP): A systematic review of complex interventions to identify effective programme components and characteristics in low- and middle-income countries. UK AID Centre for Excellence for Development Impact and Learning (CEDIL), UK.

5. Phase-III RCT of Positive Choices: a whole-school social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities, NIHR UK

6. A feasibility study of a prison-based parenting programme (Families Matter) in UK Prisons. Nuffield Foundation.

Recently Completed Research

1. Increasing boys’ and girls’ intention to avoid teenage pregnancy: feasibility trial of an interactive video drama based intervention in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. National Institute of Health Research (NIHR, UK).

2. Positive Choices: Optimisation, feasibility testing and pilot randomised trial of Positive Choices: a school-based social marketing intervention to promote sexual health, prevent unintended teenage pregnancies and address health inequalities in England (NIHR, UK)

2. Teenage Men and Unintended Pregnancy: Development of a relationship and Sexuality Education Resource Economic and Social Research Council, UK

3. Investigating the Influences of Social Context and Structure on Young People's Parenting Experiences. Canadian Institute of Health Research    

4. Transition of young people with complex health needs from child to adult services. National Institute of Health Research (NIHR, UK).

5. Ready to Reproduce? Teenage Men’s Attitudes and Decision-Making in Relation to an Unplanned Pregnancy. Department of Health, Crisis Pregnancy Programme (IRL)

6. If I were Jack? The development of an Interactive CD on adolescent men and unintended pregnancy for adolescents in Northern Ireland. Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland.

7. Fathers in Families: An Evaluability Assessment.. HSC Research and Development Enabling Award.

8. Fathering high-risk infants: An in-depth study of parenting babies admitted to a neonatal unit and follow-up at home. TinyLife and School of Nursing and Midwifery QUB.

9. HIV and Pregnancy: A resource to inform Midwives and other health professionals about caring for men and women in relation to pregnancy. Health and Social Care Research and Development Office (Northern Ireland).

10. Sexual Education Needs of Young People in Care. Department of Health, Crisis Pregnancy Programme (IRL). 

11. Masculinities and Men’s Depression and Suicide Network. Movember.

12. An evaluation of If I were Jack in post-primary schools in Ireland with regard to the Relationship and Sexuality Education requirements of teenage men. Health Services Executive, Crisis Pregnancy Programme (IRL).