2018 Conference Team
- CORBIS
- Content
- Finance and Logistics
- Marketing, Branding and Social Media
- Media
- Monitoring and Evaluation

Amaran Cumarasamy
Co-Founder, Director – BSc, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Global health represents a powerful opportunity to redress a myriad of disparities in social justice and anchor approaches within sustainable development, acting as a nexus for academics, practitoners and civil society to take action towards a more equitable world. I’m delighted to be working alongside a talented and inspiring multi-disciplinary team and look forward developing our projects in the months ahead.

Kieran Wilkie
Co-Founder, Advisor – Ba, MA Poverty and Development, Institute of Development Studies
Global health is a crucial aspect of development and personal well-being, but in order to combat the ever-present issues surrounding global health an interdisciplinary approach needs to be adopted. This has become increasingly self-evident through both my academic and professional experiences in dealing with this complex issue. This is the aim of the annual Sussex Global Health and Development Conference.

Jonathan Akindutire
Programmes Manager – BA Law with International Relations, University of Sussex
It is registered in many minds that we cannot solve the world’s problems. However, I thoroughly believe that if we make Global Health a central global priority, we are not far off. Global Health and International Development has only arrived recently on my agenda. My heart has always been fixed on conflict and poverty in the Global South. Nevertheless, I have come to realise during my undergraduate study in the area of international relations that poor healthcare is the underlying co-factor with poverty. This is why I joined the conference; to better my understanding on key Global Health issues and because I trust that we have established a platform that will raise awareness around Global Health and International Development and provide solutions fit for the modern world.

Grace Barlow
Secretary – BA International Development, University of Sussex
My interest is in gender differences and how they affect access to healthcare and support in different countries around the world. Making access to healthcare available for everyone is key to increasing equality which is something I have a keen passion for.

Boago Mokgatle
Content Coordinator – MSc, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
My interests in global health and development stem from the recognition of health as a human right which should be enjoyed by all regardless of nationality, socioeconomic status, gender or race. I want to be part of a generation which works towards bringing health equity to those who have for long been pushed to the margins of society.

Jimmy Gough
Content Officer – MA Poverty and Development, Institute of Development Studies
My interest in global health came through stays in Ghana and experiencing first-hand the suffering experienced due to frustratingly preventable illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and scabies. This led to a keen interest in organisations such as Give Well and Effective Altruism, which have highlighted how much global health can be improved through cost-effective interventions in neglected areas, and prioritising resources accordingly.

Markéta Šmitová
Content Officer – MA Globalisation, Business and Development, Institute of Development Studies
I discovered my interest in development when engaging in community work in Ghana and Peru. Observing women’s barriers on daily basis and efforts to restore balance through women’s empowerment projects brought home the realities of global health. The work with the women of these communities has inspired me to work in this field in the future.

Meron Yalew
Content Officer – BSc, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Global health encompasses a plethora of issues we face in our world today including access to healthcare, inequality and poverty which restrict development in many LMICs. During my previous studies, global health enabled me to see the world from a unique perspective, acknowledging the successes achieved so far, as well as identifying the fundamental areas yet to be addressed. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, we hope to focus on some these matters during the 3rd Global Health and Development Conference, as well as inspiring and empowering individuals to get involved in this increasingly dynamic field of academic and practice.

Shivani Jain
Finance Coordinator – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies
Coming from a developing nation, I have experienced and witnessed injustices in health-related issues and mental health and its associated taboos resonate with me in particular. I have also worked around building a women safely mobile App in India am keen to work towards designing and building more solutions around this pressing issue in the years ahead.

Lysann Seifert
Logistics Coordinator – MBA, Visiting PhD Humanitarian Supply Chain Management, University of Sussex and University of Kassel
I am a PhD student on Humanitarian Supply Chain Management responding to forcibly displaced persons at the University of Kassel, Germany and the University of North Florida, US. Besides the strong linkage to my PhD topic, I believe Global Health and Development is increasingly important in international affairs. I am keen to learn more about their interdependencies and look forward to contributing towards this cause.

Isabel Alves
Sponsorship Officer – BA International Relations and International Development, University of Sussex
Health is the catalyst for serious change in the imbalanced world we live in. My particular interest within global health is the Global Strategy (2016-2030), a programme targeted to achieve high standards of health worldwide for women and children.

Klaudija Brami
Sponsorship Officer – BA International Development with Law, University of Sussex
Studying International Development sparked my interest in global health. By taking the “Health, Poverty and Inequality” module I was able to gain valuable insight into key themes surrounding global health issues. I then built upon my initial interest and insight into global health by attending last year’s conference. This left me excited and inspired to get involved with the interdisciplinary approach to global health that the conference offers which is why joined the team this year.

Georg McCutcheon
Catering Officer – BA Politics and International Relations, University of Sussex
In light of rapidly progressing climate change, I am interested in health issues that arise from natural disasters, which disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged countries in the global South. In addition, I want to explore adequate policy responses to forced migration, caused by climate change related dangers to human health.

Isabella Maria Pyrgies
Venue Officer – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies
The experiences I have gained from visiting different countries and undertaking an MA in International Development has made me aware of the integral importance of using health as a lens with which to assess development processes and well-being. Through my masters, I have become increasingly aware of the hidden and visible structural inequalities which determine access and resources. I believe this conference acts as an important platform to discuss, explore and share knowledge on the multifaceted aspects of global health such as mental health, migration, and human rights within the context of current events.

Lydia O’Connor-Butler
MBS Coordinator – Ba Law with International Relations, University of Sussex
I intend to pursue a career in the Human Rights field and believe that it is redundant to speak on measures to address the rife inequality and injustice in our world if people do not have the means and the resources to live a quality and dignified life, a fundamental aspect of that is of course access to healthcare.

Molly Maynard
Branding Officer – BA International Development, University of Sussex
My interest in global health and development stems from the experience of growing up in developing countries. I witnessed how development can both tackle and create health issues. It also made me aware of the numerous obstacles, sometimes simple and unnecessary, that deny people their right to health.

Isabel Spence
Social Media Officer – Ba Anthropology, University of Sussex
My interest in Global Health was sparked through my engagement with medical anthropology, sexuality and gender. I am excited to develop and be part of an interdisciplinary Global Health and Development community. I am keen to expand what it means to be part of this community and introduce new voices to the conference.

Serena Bailey
Marketing Officer – Ba International Development with Spanish, University of Sussex
As an international development student, my area of interest is global health, especially maternal and infant health. I am also interested in power relations in regard to the creation of international development policy, and how to create a more level playing field for the people and actors who participate in development activities.

Hannah Spencer
Marketing Officer – Ba Geography and International Development, University of Sussex
Global Health and Development brings together such a diverse selection of disciplines. This subsequently opens up such an amazing and captivating debate on significant global issues that will become even more important in the future for both ourselves and future generations.

Alex Boothroyd
Media Coordinator – BA History, University of Sussex
Much of my academic study has focussed on colonial practices and legacies across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and North America. In regards to Global Health and Development, I’m particularly interested in the social determinants of health within a post-colonial context; in the inequalities that exists and how we can address them most effectively.

Izzy Dickenson
Co-Editor – Ba, BMBS Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Working in the NHS I’ve had the privilege of learning about the realities of what health means for many people, as well as the complex issues that drive whether their needs are or are not met. Global health is a way of responding to those lessons in a wider context and finding solutions to providing a fundamental right to which so many lack access.

Allana Boateng
Co-Editor – Ba Politics and International Relations, University of Sussex
Within the vast sector of Global Health my main interest is Tropical Diseases. Being regionally exclusive makes them extremely challenging. Neglected tropical diseases are pin-pointed as having direct correlations with states’ development. The continuing phenomenon of development is a reoccurring theme of tropical diseases meaning the two often go hand in hand. Through CORBIS I am able to bring my interest into light whilst learning more about others, particularly with this years theme ‘Global Health and Social Justice’.

Carlotta Schwoerbel
Web Developer – Ba International Development with Spanish, University of Sussex
With health as a key indicator for development it is important to address the imbalance between incredible medical advances on one side in contrast to the lack of sometimes even the most basic healthcare in many developing countries. To me, this year’s conference represents a platform to showcase how we could make inclusive progress in global health happen.

Tarooj Anwar
Web Developer – Ba, MSc Climate Change, Development & Policy, Institute of Development Studies
The triple challenges of global health, development and climate change are intimately linked and require multidisciplinary solutions. With a background in media, climate change and development, I am engaged by these concerns and am interested in exploring how structural inequalities prevent the world’s vulnerable from accessing the health resources they need. CORBIS’ annual conference hence became the perfect outlet to fuse my practical media skills and interests in tackling climate and health concerns.

Adele Walton
Photographer – BA International Development, University of Sussex
My interest in Global Health and Development stems from my belief that development cannot be achieved unless all people have equal access to healthcare services. Quality of health should not be something determined by where we live, what class we are, what gender, race or ethnicity we are.

Richard Samuel
M&E Coordinator – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies
One of my interests within global heath and development is eye health; before starting my MA I worked for an eye health INGO. Another is mental health, a critical and rapidly emerging focus. I’m also interested in the links between health and environment, and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on water security. Finally, I’m interested in two themes which cut across the field: sustainability and impact.

Samia Amao
M&E Officer – Ba International Development with French, University of Sussex
I believe that concern for global health will become increasingly important as new challenges arise, in doing so, creating even more space for future innovation. I am also excited to see how different countries and global organisations will respond to these needs and challenges, and how various forms of knowledge will collide.

Vanya Gupta
M&E Officer – MA Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies
I have a number of academic interests in global health and development, in particular health education, maternal health and nutritional needs, mental health, sanitation, sustainability and the impact of environment on health.

Samantha Orenstein
M&E Officer – Ba Law with Spanish, University of Sussex
I am interested in the uses of alternative, non-intrusive holistic methods in treating mental health, in particular mindfulness and meditation techniques. I am also keenly drawn to issues relating to inequality in accessing health services, including the impact and role of privatised drug businesses in paving the direction of global health priorities

Johanna Siebert
M&E Officer – BA International Relations and Development, University of Sussex
Global health and development are shaped by uneven power relations. I find it particularly interesting how current inequality has its origins in historical events that created a powerful elite at the expense of the many and what implications this has for contemporary approaches to the world’s most pressing issues.