I grew up in Nepal and I used to live in a joint family of 22, with my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Daily life was a bit of a struggle and although I do not remember going hungry very often, I certainly recall walking to school with bare feet.
My father was a high school teacher and he taught near my primary school. When I used to finish school, I would go and sit at the back of his classroom. He was an amazing storyteller and students loved and respected him deeply. The way he taught and engaged with the students really inspired me to work in education. My mother never went to school but she was very keen that her children were well educated. She could not help us with our homework but always gave us company while we were doing it.
I completed my primary and high school education in Nepal and moved to the UK in 2005 to undertake a Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Aberdeen. I was then successful in applying to undertake a PhD, which I was awarded in May 2011. Following the completion of my PhD, I have been engaged in a wide range of public health research and teaching activities.
After my PhD, I worked at the University of Aberdeen briefly and then moved to Peninsula Medical School towards the end of 2011. I joined BSMS in 2013 and cannot believe it has nearly been 10 years already!
When I look at my CV and reflect on my career, it seems a bit random. During my postdoc phase, I did a lot of projects on diverse topics as required by the job, and there was limited flexibility for my own research. But even then, looking back I can really connect the dots. I can see that there was a pattern emerging, with most of my research focusing on vulnerable and marginalised communities. Currently, I have focused my work mostly on labour migrants, the homeless population, and ethnic minority communities. I have used participatory approaches to co-produce culturally appropriate health education materials, working closely with these communities.
I had no idea about what I wanted to do when I was growing up. I was interested in several things from sewing to singing and cooking but I was not passionate enough to pursue any of these as a career. Also, there was a very heavy emphasis on studying in order to be successful in Nepalese culture, so my life naturally took a more academic turn. However, it was not until I reached to university level that I became serious about my studies and wanted to devote myself to academia. As soon as I finished my undergraduate degree, I started teaching science at a local high school, and I have not looked back since then.
The reason I chose my field of speciality is, because my house in Nepal was near a garment factory. The workers there were a very happy bunch, playing loud music, singing and laughing along whilst weaving intricate patterns and clothing. This laughter was also accompanied by constant coughing and wheezing, which over time became a focus of my curiosity and concern. Endeavouring to help those who toiled under such conditions, I started looking for a public health course but could not find one in Nepal, so I ended up coming to the UK to do my MSc in Public Health at Aberdeen and the rest is history.
I think gaining confidence in myself is probably the biggest achievement for me. Growing up, girls in Nepal were not encouraged to voice their opinions. In school, I used to be the back-bencher girl, never gathering the courage to speak up. At work, I often stayed in the background, nodding and smiling quietly. I have worked hard to overcome this self-doubt and I am still working on it but I think I am a lot more confident now than I used to be.
There are several people who inspire me. Personally, my parents’ perseverance and hard work, my husband’s kindness and my daughter’s creativity put me in awe. Professionally, my colleagues are my rock stars. I especially want to thank Prof Jackie Cassell for her unwavering support and mentorship over the last few years, as she has helped me a lot to shape my career to date. I really hope I will be a good mentor like her one day. I would also like to thank Prof Anjum Memon for his guidance, Dr Liz Ford and Prof Stephen Bremner for sharing food and wisdom, and Sonia Khan, Rosie Neville, Claire Martin and Charlotte Hill for always being there. The list is long, but unfortunately, I cannot mention everyone who has aided my success, whether it be academically or socially but know that you all are in my heart.
I like to separate my work from my personal life but it can be hard, especially when working from home. I like sticking to a routine and starting and finishing work on time. Of course, this is not always feasible given the nature of the academic work and the constant deadlines, but I try as much as I can. I like to exercise in my free time, it helps me keep sane. I love running. It is free and a great way to explore places, all you need is a pair of shoes.
BSMS has always felt like home to me, I have loved working here. I joined as Research Fellow and in 10 years I am now leaving as Professor! This would not have been possible without the help of my wonderful colleagues and students at BSMS. I really enjoyed being the Course Lead for the MSc Public Health course, and I am proud of the work that I have done to transform the MSc. The course is doing extremely well and is currently the flagship course for BSMS. We have 100% student satisfaction on the course and the recruitment has nearly tripled since I joined. I am really happy that I am leaving the course in its best shape ever.
As an academic, I had always wanted to be a professor one day and I'm over the moon that the day has finally arrived! It gives me immense pleasure to say that I will be the first female professor from a Nepalese background in the UK. My promotion means that my work to date is valued and it opens up tremendous opportunities to do exciting research to address new and persisting challenges in global public health.
I will be a Professor of Public Health and Director for the Institute of Global Health at Keele University. I am really excited about the role as it will not only provide an opportunity to work with the local community and the Public Health team but also expand the global health partnership, especially in South East Asia. I look forward to working with my new team to contribute to addressing disparities in health and advancing equity for everyone.
My research is interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature. I love working together with the communities and shaping my research according to their needs. I aim to focus my work to improve the health and well-being of marginalised groups (such as refugees and asylum seekers and ethnic minority groups). I am really keen to continue my collaboration with other disciplines, including humanities, social science and psychology. The issues related to health and inequality are multifaceted and complex, and we must take a multidisciplinary and innovative approach to address them.
The best piece of advice I would give my younger self would be, you can achieve anything, just keep going. There will be many moments of self-doubts, uncertainty and struggle, but be kind to yourself and to others, and never give up.
The advice I would give other women would be to have a good mentor. I think it is one of the most important things. Also, explore what you like, you do not have to know from the very start what your career will look like in the future. It is good to go with the flow and explore various roles, research topics and ideas. You will find your purpose along the way.