Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Statement
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).
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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Network
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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, A., Clarke, M., Hanratty, J., Lohan, M. & Tomlinson, M.
11/03/2020 → …
Project: Research
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R1386NUR: Teenage men and unplanned pregnancy: An educational resource
01/08/2011 → …
Project: Research
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Addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights with men in prisons: Co-production and feasibility testing of a relationship, sexuality and future fatherhood education programme
Robinson, M., Templeton, M., Kelly, C., Grant, D., Buston, K., Hunt, K. & Lohan, M., 18 Jul 2022, (Early online date) In: International Journal of Prisoner Health.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Downloads (Pure) -
Effects of gender-transformative relationships and sexuality education to reduce adolescent pregnancy (the JACK trial): a cluster-randomised trial
Lohan, M., Brennan-Wilson, A., Hunter, R., Gabrio, A., McDaid, L., Young, H., French, R., Aventin, A., Clarke, M., McDowell, C., Logan, D., Toase, S., O'Hare, L., Bonell, C., Gillespie, K., Gough, A., Lagdon, S., Warren, E., Buckley, K., Lewis, R. & 4 others, , Jul 2022, In: The Lancet Public Health . 7, 7, p. e626-e637Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Enacting whole-school relationships and sexuality education in England: Context matters
Bragg, S., Ponsford, R., Meiksin, R., Lohan, M., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Hadley, A., Young, H., Anne Barter, C., Taylor, B. & Bonell, C., 30 Mar 2022, (Early online date) In: British Educational Research Journal.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile18 Downloads (Pure) -
Feasibility and acceptability of a whole-school social-marketing intervention to prevent unintended teenage pregnancies and promote sexual health: evidence for progression from a pilot to a phase III randomised trial in English secondary schools
Ponsford, R., Bragg, S., Meiksin, R., Tilouche, N., Van Dyck, L., Sturgess, J., Allen, E., Elbourne, D., Hadley, A., Lohan, M., Mercer, C. H., Melendez Torres, G. J., Morris, S., Young, H., Campbell, R. & Bonell, C., 04 Mar 2022, In: Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 8, 52.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
The Positive Choices trial: update to study protocol for a phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities
Ponsford, R., Meiksin, R., Allen, E., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Morris, S., Mercer, C., Campbell, R., Young, H., Lohan, M., Coyle, K. & Bonell, C., 11 Apr 2022, In: Trials. 23, 287.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Chairman’s Award Oct 2018 - The NI South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Templeton, Michelle (Recipient), Kelly, C. (Recipient) & Lohan, Maria (Recipient), 31 Oct 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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CIPR Pride Awards 2018
Templeton, Michelle (Recipient), Kelly, C. (Recipient) & Lohan, Maria (Recipient), 31 Oct 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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International Research Colloquium Award
Lohan, Maria (Recipient), Apr 2015
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Visiting International Scholar
Lohan, Maria (Recipient), 01 May 2012
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Activities
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Intimate Relationships and Imaginaries of Future Fatherhood: A Sociological Exploration of Childless Men and Reproductive Timings
Maria Lohan (Examiner)
09 Mar 2022Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination
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Alejandra Lopez Gomez
Maria Lohan (Host)
2022Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor
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Why male engagement is important to addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls & girls’ rights to education
Maria Lohan (Advisor) & Avni Amin (Invited speaker)
30 May 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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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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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
Press / Media
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If I were Jack: Relationships and Sexuality Education in Irish-medium Schools
Theresa McShane, Maria Lohan & Liam Dempsey
31/05/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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Intervenciones innovadoras en la prevención del embarazo no intencional en adolescentes
23/08/2019
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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The latest statistics on teenage births are missing a vital ingredient: fathers
15/07/2016
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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