Current Projects

Project 1: Effect of Group Singing on Menopausal Symptoms in the UK (2025-26)

Background: This is a quasi-experimental study examining the potential effect of group singing on menopausal symptoms among middle-aged working adults in Essex. Data are being collected on the experimental and control groups at 3, 6, and 9-month follow-ups. The data will be analyzed with repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and mixed-effects regression. This study may enable participants to seamlessly integrate into a community of group singers, minimizing their menopausal symptoms and enhancing their quality of life.

Key collaborator(s): Professor Camille Cronin (Visiting Fellow, University of Essex) and Dr Yula Andrews (Director, Pop Chorus Ltd, UK)

Project 2: Vulnerabilities Associated with Extreme Weather in the UK (2025-26)

Background: This is a mixed-methods study exploring vulnerabilities associated with extreme weather experiences among older adults in Essex. An ethnographic qualitative study is being conducted to understand perceived vulnerabilities attributed to extreme weather. A survey is being used to assess the association of vulnerabilities with health outcomes, including climate anxiety, quality of life, and healthcare utilization frequency. This study is expected to provide evidence for understanding the burden of healthcare due to extreme weather and for profiling older adults who have been impacted by extreme weather.

Key collaborator(s): Mr Napoleon Darkwah, Master's by Research Student, University of Essex, UK

Background: This study is a repeated cross-sectional study quantifying the relationship of climate change anxiety with suicidal ideation and self-medication in a nationally representative Ghanaian sample. The participants are adults aged 50 years or older, and multi-level analyses accounting for potential differences between socioeconomic and contextual factors will be performed with data collected at baseline and 12-month follow-up. The evidence from this study may inform a larger-scale international study involving six countries. It may also unfold policy directions for supporting adults experiencing severe climate anxiety.

Project 3: Climate Anxiety and Suicide Ideation in Ghana (2025-26)

Key collaborator(s): Dr Cosmos Yarfi (Lecturer, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana) and Dr Edward Wilson Ansah (Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana)

Latest Knowledge Exchange Activity

Associate Professor Katekaew Seangpraw (Aka Polly) of the University of Phayao, Thailand, visited me at the University of Essex in August 2025 for a writing retreat. During her visit, we wrote a full manuscript with data collected on older adults in Phayao, Northern Thailand.

My Team's Pathway to Impact

1. Research planning and design with stakeholders (e.g., service users, policy makers, and research participants).

2. Co-production of tools and evidence with stakeholders.

3. Reporting research results directly to policymakers (e.g., through letter writing).

4. Following up through research or stakeholder consultation to assess uptake of recommended interventions.