Aspro. Nicola Christofides

Nicola Christofides is a South African public health researcher whose work centres on gender-based violence, HIV prevention, and women’s health in sub-Saharan Africa. Affiliated with leading South African research institutions, her scholarship bridges epidemiology, social science, and community-based research, with a strong focus on translating evidence into policy and service delivery improvements.

Her publications examine intimate partner violence, femicide risk, stigma, and the intergenerational impacts of trauma, alongside HIV prevention strategies including PrEP, condom use, and transactional sex. She also investigates syndemics linking IPV, mental health, and HIV, as well as nutrition and chronic disease management in resource-constrained settings, frequently applying mixed methods and advanced quantitative modelling.

Christofides’ contributions highlight how gender norms, structural inequality, and health system design shape women’s vulnerability and access to care. By foregrounding women’s and children’s lived experiences, her research informs gender-transformative interventions, survivor-centred services, and multisectoral public health strategies across Southern Africa.