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Staff Profile

Dr Tash Fothergill-Misbah

Research Associate

  • Address: Population Health Sciences Institute
    Baddiley Clark Building
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE2 4BN
Background

Dr Natasha Fothergill-Misbah is a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Group (GHRG) on Transforming Parkinson's Care in Africa (TraPCAf). Her background is in Biomedical Sciences and 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, access to healthcare and, more recently, the impact of climate change on the health of older people. 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, 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)

Qualifications

DrPH Graduate Class Climate Change and Public Health Problem Solving Seminar 2022, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

PhD Global Health 2016-2020, Newcastle University - 'The lived experience of Parkinson's disease in Kenya: sociality, improvisation and hope'

Short Course Ageing in Africa 2017, University of Southampton

PGCert Research Training Methods 2016-17, Newcastle University

MSc Public Health (Global Health) 2015-2016, Newcastle University

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences 2012-2015, 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/)

Research

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

My current role is as Research Associate on the NIHR Global Health Research Group Transforming Parkinson's Care in Africa (TraPCAf). The grant is 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: As Co-PI, I was awarded £6,000 to carry out a 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.

Parkinson’s disease in Kenya: My PhD research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Through the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership (NINE DTP), my research explored the lived experience of Parkinson’s disease in Kenya using ethnographic methods. I spent 1 year conducting 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. The research identified the roles of sociality, improvisation and hope in living with, and managing Parkinson’s disease.

Rollercoaster project: During my time as a Research Fellow at Northumbria University I worked with the Children and Young People's Mental Health team, evaluating Rollercoaster (https://www.rollercoasterfamilysupport.co.uk/about), a support group for parents/carers of children and young people with mental health difficulties in the North East of England. This project utilised ethnographic methods and a realist approach.

Teaching

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

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.

Publications