Our Team

Claire Heffernan is a veterinarian with training in the social sciences. She joined LIDC and RVC from the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol where as Head of Infection and Immunity she initiated the Risk and Resilience Hub which explores four inter-linked critical global challenges: climate change and health, antimicrobial resistance, sustainable food systems and disease emergence. Claire has extensive experience of inter-disciplinary research grounded in the challenges faced by poorer communities. For example, in 2000, she founded the Livestock Development Group (LDG) at the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading. This was in response to the need for a meta-disciplinary approach to the problems faced by the global poor.

Admitted to practice in Zambia, Kaumba worked in the legal industry from 2003. From his early experience in private practice, he has rapidly established himself as a corporate advisory and commercial litigation specialist. As a banking and financial services advisor, he has been an empaneled legal advisor to three of the four largest commercial banks in Zambia. His areas of practice extend to advising in international commercial law, Public Private Partnerships, Corporate Insolvency and business rescue, securitization, conveyancing and a broad range of issues, both contentious and non-contentious. He has worked with clients in the banking, finance, telecommunications, construction, manufacturing, tourism and non governmental sectors.

Kelsey Shanks is a Professor at Ulster University and the Global Challenges Research Fund Challenge Leader for Education Research within UK Research and Innovation. Her research agenda focuses on the relationship between education and conflict in divided societies, with an exploration of education’s links to post-conflict stabilisation and peace-building agendas. She has conducted extensive research in Iraq, along with work in Ukraine, Syria and Somalia. Kelsey currently holds an AHRC Network Plus Grant, in partnership with the University of Sussex, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan and the University of Cape Town, South Africa on the PEER Network (Political Economy of Education Network) project. Running until January 2024, the PEER Network aims to build capacity and enhance knowledge exchange in Central Asia and Southern Africa on political economy analysis of education systems in conflict affected contexts.

Kola Aina is an entrepreneur, technology operator and investor with vast experience working in Africa’s largest economic market. His sectors include venture capital, technology, media, agriculture, infrastructure, publishing and real estate as an angel investor while leading Ventures Platform. Venture Platform is a leading African ventures capital fund that provides founder friendly capital and support to early stage companies in a framework that is buoyed by corporate governance and hands-on support.

Maru Mormina joined the University of Oxford in 2018 as a Senior Researcher and Ethics Advisor. Her primary affiliation is with the Ethox Centre where she is developing a programme of research in global ethics. She also works with the University's Research Services where she is responsible for the development and leadership of a complementary programme of ethics advice to and support for University of Oxford researchers working in low and middle income settings.  

Nkanda Luo is the current Minister of Gender and Child Development. She has also served as Minister of Health, Minister of Transport and Communications, Minister of Local Government and Housing, and Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. Nkanda is Professor of microbiology and immunology and has served as Head of Pathology and Microbiology at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. As well as training in Microbiology and Immunology, she pursued studies in immunopathology of infectious diseases and epidemiology and medical statistics. Nkanda has carried out extensive research on HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other infectious diseases. She has been active in teaching of both undergraduate and postgraduate biomedical and nursing students.

Rayan Abdelmutaal is a leading expert in the management of humanitarian aid and advocacy driven partnerships, hailing from Sudan. She graduated from the Ahfad University for Women's School of Management with distinction.

Sam Kinyanjui is the Head of Training and Capacity Building at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme in Kenya and the Director for the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL). As the Head of Training and Capacity Building at the KWTRP in Kenya he provides scientific, and strategic guidance for academic training towards research leadership. His key achievement has been the development and implementation of a comprehensive research career framework for attracting, training and retaining African research leaders. 

Sally Medley is an experienced Senior Programme Manager currently based in Cape Town, South Africa. Sally has worked with Lucie and her research teams since 2015 following the completion of her Masters in African Studies from the University of Oxford. Sally has the fortunate position of sitting at the centre of our North-South partnership having been based for a number of years between the Universities of Oxford and Cape Town. Prior to this Sally spent significant time living and working in the Eastern Cape of South Africa where she managed the delivery and implementation of both a randomised trial and a longitudinal study related to adolescent health and well-being. As the Hub’s Senior Programme Manager Sally manages the operationalisation of research through the Hub’s five Work Packages with a team of Work Package Coordinators, and in close collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer and Hub leadership team.

Kristen is a Senior Programme Manager in the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, where she provides strategic and operational management across Professor Lucie Cluver’s research portfolio and the Accelerate Hub. She oversees grants, budgets, partnerships, staffing and project delivery, working across Oxford and international partners to support research with real-world impact. Kristen’s background is in nursing and global health, with a BSc in Nursing from Mount Royal University and an MSc in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research from LSHTM. She has worked across research, nonprofits and social enterprise, supporting programmes focused on violence prevention, parenting, gender equality, HIV prevention, and vaccine confidence.

Rebecca joined the AARHub in 2019 and is the Research Portfolio Manager for the package of work at UCT under Professor Elona Toska. She holds Master’s degrees in public health and social work, with a focus on maternal and child health policy. After spending four years leading the Department of Student Health Education at Yale University, Becky relocated to Cape Town and has spent over fifteen years working in health education, project coordination, and operations management in Cape Town.

Akhona Mfeketo serves as Senior Finance Officer at UCT. She has a demonstrated history of supporting accounting activities in both private and public sector settings.

Jill joined the Department of Social Policy and Intervention in December 2024. As Finance Manager to the Accelerate Hub research team, she provides support both pre- and post-award, assisting with grant applications, managing project budgets and financial reporting. Prior to joining the Department, she had an extensive financial career primarily in investment banking working in dealing rooms trading financial cash and derivative instruments on both a funding and proprietary basis. She also spent many years as a full-time mother.

Global executive, field builder, and partnership leader with twenty years of experience advancing social change. Served in leadership roles at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, United Nations Foundation, Amnesty International USA and in grassroots organizations on human, women and children’s rights. Proven record of building bridges among philanthropy, research, policy, advocacy, and practice to mobilize resources, action and accelerate social justice. Skilled in translating data and research into digestible communications utilized by government, donors, private sector and social movements.

Nicole Chetty has been working on ParentApp for Teens since 2021, focusing on making parenting programme tools easy to use and effective. She is involved in everything from testing and pilot studies to large research trials, and has just completed an MPhil in Public Mental Health. Nicole loves turning research into practical resources and enjoys working with diverse groups to help build stronger families and communities.

Fiona Ondara serves as Administrative and Finance Assistant to the Accelerate Hub team. Fiona is based in Kenya and brings a wealth of experience in administration, business management, and marketing.

Abigail Ornellas is a social sciences researcher, with a doctorate in social work from Stellenbosch University. She has over seven years of research and project experience within the developmental sphere and academia; she has worked with groups such as DSD, Department of Education, UNICEF, Black Sash, FHI360, REPSSI, USAID, IRD and EPRI. Her research interests include mental health, socioeconomic policy, NGO management and bridging the divide between individual and collective development. Abigail joined ORSA as Study Manager for HEY BABY in February 2021.  

Jamie M. Lachman has over 20 years of experience developing, testing, and scaling up family and parenting programmes to reduce violence against children and improve child wellbeing in low- and middle-income countries. He is a senior research officer at the University of Oxford Department of Social Policy and Intervention and a research fellow at the University of Glasgow MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit. He is also the founder of Clowns Without Borders South Africa and a co-founder of the Parenting for Lifelong Health initiative. The programmes and resources that Jamie has co-developed have reached over 196 million beneficiaries in 198 countries. Jamie is a storyteller, banjo-player, songwriter, facilitator, and clown. Dedicated to promoting our human capacity for peace and laughter, Jamie strives to live each day fully with compassion and amazement.

Janke is a Quantitative Research Assistant at the UKRI GCRF Accelerating Achievement for Africa's Adolescents Hub and is based at the University of Cape Town. She holds a BSc Honours degree in Microbiology and recently completed an MSc in Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where her thesis explored the associations between intimate partner violence, HIV testing and sexual risk behaviours among women in rural South Africa. Since joining the Accelerate Hub at the end of 2020, she has been working on the HEY BABY Study, focusing on data analysis and data cleaning related to sexual and reproductive health, adolescent motherhood, experiences of violence, and HIV/AIDS.

Diana Mwala is a DPhil candidate in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at the University of Oxford. Her research examines how climate change shapes health outcomes for adolescents and young people, with a particular focus on HIV vulnerability in sub-Saharan Africa. Her doctoral research investigates the association between drought and HIV-risk behaviours among adolescents and young people in Zambia. Through collaborative work within the Accelerate Research Hub, she has contributed to research on drought, transactional sex, and age-disparate relationships among adolescents in Southern Africa. Diana previously completed an MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at University of Oxford, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from the University of Zambia.

Dr Katherine Morse is an applied social researcher specialising in child development, adolescent parenting, and the design and evaluation of innovative interventions in low-resource settings. Her research combines developmental science, participatory methods, and measurement development to understand how caregiving relationships can better support children's learning and wellbeing. She has extensive experience leading longitudinal cohort research, developing and validating research instruments, and translating evidence into practical tools for policy and practice. Dr Morse holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cape Town, where she developed and validated a novel measure of growth mindset for South African secondary school learners, delivered on WhatsApp. She is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Cape Town and has worked with government, NGOs, and international partners to design, evaluate, and scale evidence-informed programmes for children, adolescents, and families.

Mandy Phuti is a Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town. She holds a Master of Public Health specialising in Environmental Health and a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science and Health. Her research interests lie at the intersection of climate change, environmental health, and adolescent health and well-being, with a particular interest in how climate-related hazards may affect adolescents’ health, education, and sexual and reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries. Her work includes evidence synthesis, quantitative research, research coordination, and dissemination, with a growing interest in climate-resilient approaches to adolescent health.

Hannah van Vijfeijken is a Policy Engagement Officer at the Accelerate Research Hub. In this role, she facilitates stakeholder engagement across a portfolio of policy-facing projects, translating complex research into actionable recommendations for governments, NGOs, donors, and implementing organisations. Hannah holds an MSc in Education from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Psychology from University College London. Her interests lie at the intersection of implementation strategy, behavioural insights and systems change, with a particular focus on how evidence can be structured and communicated to drive decision-making at scale. She has a background in programme leadership across the UK, Uganda, and Kenya, and is drawn to questions of how organisations design, resource, and sustain high-impact interventions in complex, resource-constrained environments.

Luciana is a Research & Policy Officer at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention and the Accelerate Research Hub. Her research and policy work centre on gender-transformative interventions, cost-effective investments for improving adolescent health and well-being, and the impact of climate change on children and adolescents. She works closely with development partners, governments, and international NGOs to promote evidence-based policies and programmes that support adolescents and young people across sub-Saharan Africa.

Nicole Chetty has been working on ParentApp for Teens since 2021, focusing on making parenting programme tools easy to use and effective. She is involved in everything from testing and pilot studies to large research trials, and has just completed an MPhil in Public Mental Health. Nicole loves turning research into practical resources and enjoys working with diverse groups to help build stronger families and communities.

Precious is an early career economist specialising in development research and evidence-based policy. Her work focuses on labour market outcomes, sustainable development, adolescent education, child marriage and poverty reduction in Africa. She applies quantitative methods, econometric models and statistical analysis to generate evidence that informs policy and development programming. Through this work, she contributes to strengthening the evidence base for effective social and economic policy across Africa.

Nicole is a medical sociologist working in a value-based healthcare start-up offering a unique blend of skills gained through transdisciplinary collaboration, teaching & learning, twenty years of daily meditation and Time to Think coaching & facilitation. Applying lived experience as a mother, doula, narrative researcher, lecturer, and doctorate in the sociology of childbirth, Nicole believes matrescence (the capacity for motherhood) is central to our shared humanity with the earth and the more-than-human world. She lives on the false bay coastline with two cats, two children and one husband.

Pertina is a Research Fellow at the Accelerate Research Hub, University of Cape Town, with experience leading multi-national research and implementation projects across Global Health, Climate Resilience, and Social Policy. She specializes in implementation science, evidence synthesis, and participatory approaches to translating research into policy and practice, including community-led development of solutions to water scarcity in rural contexts. She has coordinated numerous evidence reviews for the Hub, with project experience spanning Global Fund-supported work on HIV programming for adolescent girls and young women, Gates Foundation-funded research on child marriage in Nigeria and Ethiopia, ACDI-funded work on extreme heat and children's education, and NRF-funded pandemic preparedness research.