I am an applied social scientist in the Domestic Violence/Abuse and Health Research Group (DVAHG). My primary research interest is healthcare and public health responses to gender-based violence.

I currently work on ADVANCE, an NIHR-funded RCT that is testing a group therapy to reduce intimate partner violence and abuse among men receiving substance use treatment. I concurrently work as a researcher and capacity-strengthening co-lead on HERA2, an NIHR global health project enhancing healthcare responses to domestic violence/abuse in low-middle income countries

In 2020 I led the Recording & Sharing Domestic violence/abuse Information in Healthcare (R&SDIH) project, a workstream on the Pathfinder initiative. This project led to best practice guidelines for health settings and I continue to work on their dissemination.

Since 2012, I have also worked as a consultant for local third-sector organisations evaluating services and developing strategy/policy on violence against women and women’s health.

I teach on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate units, supervise medical students, and co-supervise PhD student Satya Shrestha. I am also DVAHG coordinator, organising team meetings and guest speakers. I am moreover part of decoloniseUoB (@decolUoB) co-leading work around decolonising research.

If you are interested in collaboration or supervision, or would like to present at a future DVAHG meeting, please contact me on sandi.dheensa@bristol.ac.uk