Who we are
Project team
Dr Nasrul Ismail, Principal Investigator, University of Bristol
Nasrul ensures the effective management of key milestones and deliverables, performs data analysis alongside co-investigators, and oversees co-production activities to support pathways to impact.
Dr Thaatchaayini Kananatu, Monash University Malaysia
Thaatchaayini is a co-investigator on this project, leading fieldwork in Malaysia. She performs data analysis alongside the Principal Investigator (PI), and support activities related to the pathways to impact with the PI.
Prof Elmer Soriano, University of the Philippines and Civika Asian Development Academy
Elmer is a co-investigator on this project, leading fieldwork in the Philippines. He performs data analysis alongside the Principal Investigator (PI), and support activities related to the pathways to impact with the PI.
Prof Pitch Pongsawat, Chulalongkorn University Thailand
Pitch is a co-investigator on this project, leading fieldwork in Thailand. He performs data analysis alongside the Principal Investigator (PI), and support activities related to the pathways to impact with the PI.
International Advisory Board
Our International Advisory Group (IAG) ensures effective project oversight and maximises pathways to impact.
Prof Emma Plugge, Worldwide Prison Health Research & Engagement Network (WEPHREN).
Emma is an academic researcher specialising in the health and well-being of marginalized populations, with a particular emphasis on individuals involved with the criminal justice system and migrant communities. Her work spans a range of studies on both communicable and non-communicable diseases within prison settings, addressing critical health challenges in the UK and internationally.
Emma’s research places a strong focus on women’s health and actively promotes the meaningful inclusion of marginalized groups in research, ensuring their voices and experiences shape health interventions and policies
Dr Claire Blackmore, World Health Organization
Claire brings extensive experience in emergency response and pandemic preparedness across Southeast Asia and Europe. She currently serves as a Contact Tracing Specialist with the World Health Organization.
Olivia Rope, Prison Reform International
Olivia is a leading expert in human rights protection, with a particular focus on the rights of persons deprived of liberty, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, and the development of gender-responsive criminal justice systems. She brings extensive expertise in legal analysis, research, policy development, agenda-setting, and training on human rights issues within the criminal justice sector at both United Nations and national levels.
Olivia currently serves as the Executive Director of Penal Reform International, a global NGO committed to promoting rights-based, fair, and effective criminal justice systems worldwide.
Dr Andrew M. Jefferson, Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY)
Andrew M. Jefferson is a senior researcher at the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY), with over two decades of experience specialising in the ethnographic study of prisons and prison reform in the Global South. His work focuses on regions such as West Africa (including Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and Southeast Asia (including the Philippines and Myanmar), exploring the practical realities of human rights within these contexts.
Andrew’s research offers critical insights into the complexities of prison systems and the lived experiences of individuals within them, contributing to a deeper understanding of justice and reform.
Chontit Chuenurah
As Director of the Thailand Institute of Justice, Chontit advocates for the rights of incarcerated individuals through policy development and evidence-based research across Thailand and the ASEAN region. She oversees a range of research initiatives, including studies on gender and imprisonment, women prisoners, and the implementation of the UN Bangkok Rules within ASEAN.
Chontit’s work reflects a commitment to advancing justice reform and promoting human rights for marginalised populations.
Funding
This research is generously funded by the British Academy Official Development Assistance (ODA) Challenge-Oriented Research Grants 20224.
The funding supports opportunities to foster and deepen international research collaborations, conduct policy-relevant ODA-eligible research on future pandemic preparedness in Southeast Asian prisons, and engage with local and national communities as well as policy stakeholders to design, develop, and implement the research findings.
The programme is supported by the UK Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF).
