Staff Profiles

Dr Natasha Fothergill-Misbah is a Postdoctoral Research Associate working in the field of Global Public Health. In her previous post, she was a Lecturer in Gerontology based in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Southampton. Her research mainly uses qualitative methods and has focussed around ageing and gerontology (mainly in Africa), Parkinson’s disease, stigma, access to healthcare, and climate change and health. Natasha is also interested in how research can influence policy, consults for the World Health Organization Brain Health Unit, and is involved with Parkinson’s advocacy organisations and activities around the world. 

Positions and Responsibilities

Regional Liaison for sub-Saharan Africa and Editorial Committee member, Journal of Global Ageing (https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/journals/journal-of-global-ageing)

Committee member, British Geriatric Society (BGS) Research and Development Committee (https://www.bgs.org.uk/research)

Steering Committee, British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Special Interest Group on Ageing in Africa, Asia and Latin America (https://www.britishgerontology.org/about-bsg/special-interest-groups/ageing-in-africa-asia-and-latin-america)

Committee on Equality of Access to Care, International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society

Qualifications

DrPH Graduate Class Climate Change and Public Health Problem Solving, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

PhD Global Health, Newcastle University - 'The lived experience of Parkinson's disease in Kenya: sociality, improvisation and hope'

Short Course Ageing in Africa, University of Southampton

PGCert Research Training Methods, Newcastle University

MSc Public Health (Global Health), Newcastle University

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences, Newcastle University

Awards

The Tom Isaacs Award 2023 for 'Innovation in Parkinson's research to positively impact the lives of people living with Parkinson's and involve them in a participatory way in their investigations' by Cure Parkinson's Trust and Van Andel Institute (https://cureparkinsons.org.uk/2023/09/2023-tom-isaacs-award-honours-dr-natasha-fothergill-misbah/)

Shortlisted in Newcastle University Engagement and Place Awards 'Engaging Globally' Category 2024 (https://www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/engagement/awards)

Highly commended Newcastle University Alumni Achievement Award in the ‘Outstanding global, intercultural and EDI contribution’ category 2024 (https://www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/item/alumni-achievement-winners-2024/)

Award-winning documentary producer 'Shaking Hands With The Devil' (www.shakinghandsfilm.com)

Award-winning documentary producer 'UHURU' (www.uhurufilm.com)

Media

Newcastle University From Blog on perceptions of Parkinson's disease in Africa (https://from.ncl.ac.uk/witchcraft-and-demons-perceptions-of-parkinsons-disease-in-africa)

MDS podcast episode on stigma for World Movement Disorders Day 2024 (https://www.movementdisorders.org/Podcasts/World-Movement-Disorders-Day---Stigma-in-movement-disorders.htm)

Interview for Davis Phinney Foundation on Parkinson's stigma and medication access in Africa (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2-OrxTUnsw)

Interview on BBC Breakfast about 'Shaking Hands With The Devil' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao7CUF4E7SQ&t=1s)

Interview for MDS Moving Along newsletter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrdgQMww9k0)

Short film on TraPCAf (https://uhurufilm.com/trapcaf)

Interview for KBC on Understanding Parkinson's disease (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKdGov6Q5IQ)

My research focusses on Parkinson’s disease in sub-Saharan Africa. My academic background is interdisciplinary, combining biomedical sciences, anthropology, global health, gerontology and public health.

British Academy ODA interdisciplinary project 'A canvas for change' (2024-2026): Principal Investigator on a British Academy funded project to produce a community-based awareness campaign in Kenya, which will be informed by, and co-created with, people with lived experience of neurological disorders. Find out more here: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/a-canvas-for-change-co-producing-art-to-reduce-the-stigma-of-neurological-disorders-in-kenya/

NIHR Global Health Research Group 'Transforming Parkinson's Care in Africa (TraPCAf)' (2020-2026): Research Associate, working across 7 African countries to improve the diagnosis, treatment and care of Parkinson's. Follow the grant's Twitter page to keep up to date with this work @trapcaf_project or visit our website www.research.ncl.ac.uk/trapcaf

Climate change in Ghana (2022-2023): Pilot project in rural Ghana to develop participatory approaches to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of vulnerable groups around sustainable health development amid climate change. I'm interested in how climate change is affecting older people in LMICs, but also how older people can be empowered to tackle the climate crisis and be agents of change in the climate movement.

Rollercoaster project (2021): Research Fellow post at Northumbria University working with the Children and Young People's Mental Health team, evaluating Rollercoaster, a support group for parents/carers of children and young people with mental health difficulties in the North East of England. This work utilised ethnographic methods and a realist approach.

ESRC funded doctoral research 'Lived experience of Parkinson’s disease in Kenya' (2016-2020): PhD research through the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership (NINE DTP). The project involved 1 year of ethnographic fieldwork across Kenya, exploring how people navigated life with Parkinson’s, from diagnosis through to the end of life. This research involved people with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, as well as herbal and religious healers, identifying the roles of sociality, improvisation and hope in living with, and managing Parkinson’s disease.

I am a full-time researcher and open to supervising new PhD students.

Currently supervise global health dissertation projects for MSc and MRes courses.

Supervising Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) student 2024-2026.

In my previous role as Lecturer in Gerontology I taught modules on: Ageing in Africa; Policy Evaluation for Ageing Societies; Researching Ageing Societies; Quantitative Research Methods; and Perspectives in Gerontology.

• Articles

  • Subramanian I, Okubadejo N, Fothergill-Misbah N. Levodopa - An Oldie but a Goodie - Time to Make it Accessible to All in Sub-Saharan Africa. Movement Disorders 2025.
  • Ede CF, Fothergill-Misbah N, Ede SS. "Life has always been physical physical, now visual": an explorative study on the use of digital health technologies to promote physiotherapy home treatment programs among older people. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2025, 41(2), 337-350.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N, Hooker J, Kwasa J, Walker R. Access to Medicines for Parkinson’s Disease in Kenya: A Qualitative Exploration. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice 2024, 11(11), 1373-1378.
  • Carroni S, Del Sorbo F, Barichella M, Fothergill-Misbah N, Denne T, Laguna J, Urasa S, Dekker MJ, Akpalu A, Sarfo FS, Cham M, Pezzoli G, Cilia R. Mucuna pruriens to treat Parkinson's disease in low-income countries: recommendations and practical guidelines from the farmer to clinical trials. Paving the way for future use in clinical practice. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2024, 124, 106983.
  • Walker R, Fothergill-Misbah N, Kariuki S, Ojo O, Cilia R, Dekker MCJ, Agabi O, Akpalu A, Amod F, Breckons M, Cham M, Del Din S, Dotchin C, Guggsa S, Kwasa S, Mushi D, Nwaokorie FO, Park T, Rochester L, Rogathi J, Sarfo FS, Shalash A, Ternent L, Urasa S, Okubadejo N. Transforming Parkinson's Care in Africa (TraPCAf): Protocol for a multimethodology National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Group project. BMC Neurology 2023, 23, 373.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N. The lived experience of stigma and Parkinson's disease in Kenya: a public health challenge. BMC Public Health 2023, 23, 364.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N, Moffatt S, Mwithiga H, Hampshire K, Walker R. The role of support groups in the management of Parkinson’s disease in Kenya: Sociality, information and legitimacy. Global Public Health 2022, 17(8), 1773-1783.
  • Schiess N, Cataldi R, Okun M, Fothergill-Misbah N, Dorsey R, Barretto M, Bhidayasiri R, Brown R, Chishimba L, Chowdhary N, Coslov M, Cubo E, Di Rocco A, Dolhun R, Dowrick C, Fung V, Gershanik O, Gifford L, Gordon J, Khalil H, Kühn A, Lew S, Lim S, Marano M, Micallef J, Mokaya J, Moukheiber E, Nwabuobi L, Okubadejo N, Pal P, Shah H, Shalash A, Sherer T, Siddiqui B, Thompson T, Ullrich A, Walker R, Dua T. Six Action Steps to Address Global Disparities in Parkinson Disease: A World Health Organization Priority. JAMA Neurology 2022, 79(9), 929-936.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N. Handbook on Ageing with Disability, Putnam, Michelle and Bigby, Christine, New York, Routledge, 2021. Social Policy & Administration 2022, 56(7), 1173-1175.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N, Walker R, Kwasa J, Hooker J, Hampshire K. "Old people problems", uncertainty and legitimacy: Challenges with diagnosing Parkinson's disease in Kenya. Social Science & Medicine 2021, 282, 114148.
  • Fothergill-Misbah N, Maroo H, Cham M, Pezzoli G, Walker R, Cilia R. Could Mucuna pruriens be the answer to Parkinson's disease management in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries worldwide?. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2020, 73, 3-7.

• Digital or Visual Media

  • Fothergill-Misbah, N, McCoy, O, Plummer, D. Shaking Hands With The Devil. 2023.