Meet Our Team
Our Team is made up of Co-Investigators, Researchers and Research Assistants based at the University of Santo Tomas (Philippines), Tribhuvan University (Nepal) and the University of Sussex (UK). See the biographies and structure of our team below.
Professor Anna Robinson-Pant (Co-Investigator) is Emeritus Professor of Education at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia, UK. She holds the UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation, a collaborative research, training and policy-focused partnership with universities in Nepal, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Malawi and Egypt – including UST and TU-CERIDNepal, who are present at this conference. Her ethnographic research in Nepal – Why eat green cucumber at the time of dying? Exploring the link between women’s literacy and development – received the UNESCO International Award for Literacy Research in 2001. She received the BMW Group Award for Intercultural Learning (Theory Category) for her methodological contributions to researching across languages and cultures. She is currently based at CORTH (Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Technology and Health) at the University of Sussex and leads the MRC-funded study, ‘Empowering communities through university partnerships in public health: a pilot project in Nepal and the Philippines’.
Prof. Camilla J. Vizconde, PhD (Co-Investigator) is Professor 3 of the University of Santo Tomas (UST). She has authored and co-authored several papers in national and international journals in the fields of Education, Language Education, Reading Education, and Literacy. She is presently an Editorial Board Member of AJELS (Asian Journal for English Language Studies) and a Reviewer of Asian TEFL. She was awarded the Dangal ng UST 2012 Most Outstanding Teacher (associate professor category). She is also a lifetime member and a Board Member of the Philippine Association for Language Teaching, Inc. (PALT) and the Linguistics Society of the Philippines (LSP), and is a regular member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).
Professor Sushan Acharya (Researcher) is a Professor at Tribhuvan University, Nepal has been closely working with the government, conducting research studies and providing consultancy services in the education sector for more than 20 years. She has completed a number of research and consultancy projects in the field of education in particular and social sector in general. She has published a number of articles related to gender and social inclusion in education. She can devise and implement qualitative research and evaluation projects independently. Formal education, non-formal education, qualitative research and evaluation, report Writing, Gender and social inclusion are her major professional areas of interest.
Dr. Maria Philina Rita C. Pasicolan (Research Assistant) is a Family Medicine Physician with a passion for serving communities and advancing medical knowledge and providing excellent patient care. After earning her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas, she completed her residency training there, focusing on patient-centered care. Dr. Pasicolan authored and co-authored studies on mental health and palliative care. She is committed to lifelong learning and is actively involved in professional societies.
Dr. Bishnu P. Choulagai (Co-Investigator) is a public health professional with extensive experience in education and research. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and currently serves as the Head of the Central Department of Public Health at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Dr. Choulagai’s teaching focuses on epidemiology, global health, and public health theory and practices. His research interests encompass a broad range of public health issues, including safe motherhood, health professions education, mental health, and program evaluation. He actively supervises MPhil and PhD students’ theses.
Dr Elizabeth Hashim-Arenas (Researcher) is an Associate Professor at the University of Santo Tomas, where she teaches professional courses in the undergraduate BS in Food Technology and graduate MS major in Food Science programs. She holds an MS degree in Food Science from the University of the Philippines–Diliman and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Santo Tomas. Her research interests comprise the evaluation of antioxidant activities and phenolic compounds from agro-industrial wastes, in vitro assessment of bioavailability of food antioxidants, and development of innovative functional food products. She served as Chair of the Department of Food Technology of the College of Education and currently serves as the Faculty Secretary of the Graduate School.
Associate Professor Poojan Sharma Choulagai (Researcher) is a dedicated nurse educator with expertise in child health and mental health nursing. Her 18-year career in Nepal includes clinical practice and teaching at Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences. Prof. Choulagai is a recent recipient of her US Registered Nurse license, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to professional development. Prof. Choulagai is passionate about promoting mental health awareness. She has participated in recent workshops on mental health training and research ethics. Her dedication to student learning is evident in her participation in research methodology and systematic review workshops.
Dr. Laura Burke (Research Assistant) is a Post-doctoral Research Assistant with CORTH, University of Sussex and Lecturer in Global Public Health Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London. Laura is a medical anthropologist with special interest in reproduction, environment, and conflict. Her doctoral research including over 18 months ethnographic fieldwork in Timor-Leste and investigated how communities rebuild and ‘ reproduced’ life after conflict and crisis. This project examined the frictions between reproductive health and development programs, community practices and environment, and conflicting visions for prosperity in the context of Timor-Leste ’ s post war population boom. As the postdoctoral research assistant on the Empowering Communities project in CORTH, Laura brings a strong background in ethnography, PAR methods as well as anthropology and global health. She also currently lectures in anthropology and global health at Queen Mary University London.
Dr. Ma. Teresa Tricia Guison-Bautista, MD (Co-Investigator) is a highly accomplished physician with over 20 years of experience in family medicine, occupational medicine, geriatric medicine, and palliative care. Dedicated to improving the lives of others, she excels in both clinical practice and education. Dr. Guison-Bautista currently serves as Associate Professor V and Chair of the Department of Preventive, Family and Community Medicine at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. She is actively involved in the medical field, holding leadership positions at various hospitals and organizations. A passionate educator, Dr. Guison-Bautista is committed to training future generations of family medicine practitioners. Her expertise extends to community health, where she has championed numerous local and national public health programs.
Dr. Kamal Raj Devkota is Assistant Professor, (Co-Investigator) Faculty of Education & Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID), Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Kamal is Co-I in Nepal on the Empowering Communities project. In the realm of community engagement, Kamal is engaged in several research projects including family literacy and intergenerational learning, which was conducted in collaboration with UEA UNESCO Chair in Nepal, Malawi, Ethiopia and the Philippines. He has worked as Co-I in Nepal on the use of language and technologies in marginalized communities in Nepal, a project run in Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal and South Sudan, led by the Open University, UK. He has also been working as the PI for Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) evaluation and verification research under School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) for the Government of Nepal. He has published in the area of (school/tertiary) education, language policies and practices and indigenous knowledge systems
Assistant Professor Sudha Ghimire (Research Assistant) is a passionate advocate for improving reproductive health education, particularly for adolescents. Her 10+ year career focuses on gender issues and empowering young girls. Currently, Asst. Prof. Ghimire is a faculty member at Tribhuvan University. Her expertise is evident in presentations at international conferences on topics like Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods. Dr. Ghimire’s prestigious PhD fellowship highlights her commitment to advancing research in this field.
Adonis Evan (Research Assistant) is a multifaceted speaker, advocate, and professional, passionate on topics such as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and Servant Leadership, among others. He is an Occupational Therapy graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, where he represented the institution at the Thomas More University’s COIL Global Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Program and completed training in human rights monitoring and advocacy by the permanent delegation of the Order of Preachers to the United Nations based in Geneva. He is a certified dignity defender and an accredited World Youth Alliance member since 2020. He actively participates in discussions and engagements related to youth representation as an active member of the executive core team of the DFP-JPCC. He served as the Chair of the Student Leadership Committee for the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines – NCR for 4 years. In 2021, Evan received the Quezon Leadership Award from the University of Santo Tomas. He also held the position of External Vice President of the Occupational Therapy Students Assembly, Philippines. In 2022, he founded the Rotaract Club of San Juan Supreme under Rotary International District 3800 and was recognized as the most outstanding Rotary Youth Leadership Awardee.
Ambika Thapa Pachya (Research Assistant) is a former faculty of Public Health from Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal. Her areas of interest are community engagement and involvement. She is trained as a nurse. She has more than five years of experience working with the Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal for quality improvement of health facilities. Currently she is a member of the Technical Committee for recognition of the accreditation process of Medical Education Commission Nepal. She is PhD Candidate for a Collaborative Project on Multiple Long Term Conditions of Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal
Team Structure
Empowering Communities 