AYAZAZI

My doctoral work will leverage data from the AYAZAZI study, a longitudinal cohort study which assesses intersecting socio-behavioural, structural, and biomedical HIV risk factors among HIV-negative or HIV-status unknown youth in two South African communities, to examine the biological and psychological consequences of chronic stressors. This internship will be focused on community engagement and relationship building with community partners, members, and study participants, to identify priorities and direction for my PHD thesis-related work. This exchange will be an opportunity to strengthen a deeper collaborate working relationship with interdisciplinary and community-engaged South African research team. It will also provide me with needed training and support, in particular about research approach and methodology, from South African experts to successfully conduct my dissertation research. Furthermore, it will provide an avenue to identifying areas for potential areas for qualitative work, to support the quantitative analysis. My PHD research will seek to examine how gendered socio-structural vulnerabilities affect physical and mental health, and in particular highlight how psychosocial stress affects the health and well-being of adolescent girls in South Africa, living in HIV endemic communities characterized by high socio-structural inequities.

Faculty Supervisor:

Angela Kaida

Student:

Partner:

University of the Witwatersrand

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program: