Elizabeth Bodunde

PhD Student 

Contact Details:

Email: ebodunde@ucc.ie

Elizabeth completed her Bachelor of Science in Public health in 2017 from Babcock University and graduated from University College Cork in 2021 with a Master of Public Health (Advanced Epidemiology and Biostatistics). She holds First Class Honours in both degrees.

After receiving her degree in 2017, she joined the National Youth Service Corps and was assigned to work as a Research assistant at the Evangel fistula center in Jos. After her duty ended, she started working as a program officer at the center and an interim training officer for the Christoffel Blinden Mission Women’s Health Programme Germany.

Elizabeth received research expertise in a variety of fields, and after COVID-19 emerged, she worked as a surveillance officer with public health departments in the South and Midwest, supporting the development of surveillance capacity at all levels across the country .

Elizabeth is funded by the HRB SPHERE programme and is currently pursuing a PhD in Population Health and Health Service Research (PHHSR) at the School of Public Health and INFANT. Her doctoral research focuses on the long-term risk of maternal mental health outcomes after adverse pregnancy and birth complications.

Elizabeth planned thesis is titled: Exploring the impact of pregnancy and birth complications on adverse long term maternal mental health outcomes

The objectives of the study are:

1. Examine the association between pregnancy and childbirth complications and adverse long-term maternal mental health outcomes.

2. Understand lived experience of adverse long-term mental health outcomes of women who experience adverse pregnancy and birth complications.

3. Identify if the risk of experiencing long-term maternal mental health outcomes higher in women with pregnancy and birth complications.

She is currently supervised by an incredible team of Dr Ali Khashan, Dr Fergus McCarthy, Dr Karen O’Connor, and Dr Karen Matvienko-Sikar.

Educational Profile

2021-2025: PhD SPHeRE Programme, School of Public Health, University College Cork, and INFANT Centre.

2019-2020: MPH Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University College Cork.

2013-2017: BSc (Hons) Public Health. Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Babcock University Nigeria.

Career Profile

2021 Surveillance Officer: HSE Department of Public Health, Midwest, Ireland

2021 Surveillance Assistant: HSE Department of Public Health, South, Ireland

2018 – 2020 Programme Officer, Women Health Programme funded by Christoffel Blinden Mission Germany.

2017 – 2019 Training Officer, Evangel Fistula Center, funded by Fistula Foundation California.