Thirusha Naidu, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Equity and Social Justice in Global Medical Education & Associate Professor, Department of Innovation in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow to the Department of Public Health and Primary care, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Dates of Visit: October 1 – 3, 2024
Biography
Dr. Thirusha Naidu is an Associate Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Clinical Psychologist practicing in the public health context in South Africa. She is a descendant of indentured slaves displaced in the service of colonialism. A woman of colour, Dr. Naidu grew up and was trained as a professional psychologist in apartheid era South Africa. Her research approach references critical and theoretical perspectives on health and health professions education through decolonial and feminist theories. Inspired to give voice and make space for women of colour in research and health, she uses research poetry as a method for deep reflexivity to document, present, and illustrate experiences and research findings. Her clinical work focuses on psychotherapy for severe mental disorders and the mental health of health care workers. Dr. Naidu’s research focus areas include mental health medical education and global health in the contexts of mental health and infectious diseases (HIV and MDR-TB, FGS etc.).
Purpose of Visit
During her visit to CHES, Dr. Naidu will be meeting with individual members of the CHES community to discuss their research ideas and explore areas of joint interest. She is also the Gordon Page Invited Lecturer at the 2024 CHES Celebration of Scholarship to be held on October 2, 2024.