People

Prof Greta Rait

Project Lead

Tel: 020 7472 6878

Email: g.rait@ucl.ac.uk

Website: https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/research/personal?upi=GRAIT16

Prof Rait's expertise is in both complex intervention trials in the challenging setting of primary and community care, and in primary care epidemiology, particularly with complex primary care datasets. In addition she is Deputy Director of PRIMENT  Clinical Trials Unit, as well as being a practising GP.

She has been involved in work with STIs and HIV using primary care databases as well as trials, including a STI partner notification trial (NIHR HTA) with colleagues at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. She is co-lead for Theme B at the HPRU. She leads the Infections Group at PCPH. As Academy Lead (HPRU) she am responsible for establishing and developing a cadre of future researchers in infections (6 PhD studentships). 

Dr Lorraine McDonagh

Research Fellow

Tel: 020 7794 0500 ext. 31388

Email: l.mcdonagh@ucl.ac.uk

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lorraine_Mcdonagh2

Dr McDonagh's doctoral thesis assessed sexual difficulties in men, psychological variables (i.e., depression, stress, and anxiety) associated with sexual function, and societal influences on men's conceptualisations of sexual function. Until she joined the unit she worked as a lecturer in the National University of Ireland Galway and Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick.

She is a specialist in sexual health and well-being, psychometrics, and sexual minority issues. Her research interests include sexually transmitted infections, digital health (eHealth), behaviour change, and intervention development. 

Melissa Cabecinha

Email: m.cabecinha@ucl.ac.uk

Melissa obtained an MSc in Infection and Immunity from University College London in 2016. Her thesis project explored the factors associated with finding sexual partners online in Great Britain, using data from The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. Before starting her PhD, she worked in infectious disease surveillance and primary health care research.

Her research interests include sexual health, using administrative data to evaluate and improve health outcomes, and the development of interventions and public health policies.

Thomas Hartney

PhD Student

Email: thomas.hartney.09@ucl.ac.uk

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-hartney-1980ba64

Tom's research interests include sexual health promotion and HIV prevention, with previous work focusing on HIV testing in general medical services and online surveys of sexual behaviour and attitudes among young adults.

His PhD research will focus on HIV testing and management in primary care, making use of electronic health records including the THIN database and Hospital Episode Statistics. The proposed study will examine HIV testing patterns, particularly the delivery of HIV testing to people with clinical indicator diseases in general practice; and also investigate how patients with HIV known to their general practice are managed. 

Fabian Sailer

PhD Student

Email: f.sailer@ucl.ac.uk

Website: http://bbsti.hpru.nihr.ac.uk/our-team/fabian-sailer

Fabian first worked in the department from October '15 until March '16 where he developed a Chlamydia infection model, which was the thesis project for his Master's degree from the Heidelberg University. In October '16 he returned as a PhD student funded by the School for Primary Care Research of the National Institute for Health Research.

His PhD research is about the development of a STI model, which simultaneously simulates multiple STI. This work is adapts a UK perspective and might be beneficial for decision and policy makers in medicine.