Research Team
Our research team is made up of academics, clinicians, and practitioners from UCL, Imkaan Welfare Organisation, the Helen Bamber Foundation, and Szabist University.
Humera is Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Psychology at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, University College London. Her research centres on the identity and migration experiences of families and young people, including how they engage with institutions in new settings. She also studies statelessness, citizenship rights and activism in minoritised groups. Another strand of her research interrogates how arts and creative practices can help foster wellbeing. She leads the Wellcome funded 'Mental Health Costs of Statelessness' Project.
Francesca is a Clinical Psychologist and Researcher based at the Helen Bamber Foundation and an honorary clinical lecturer at UCL. Her work centres on trauma, forced migration, and the psychological impact of persecution, displacement, and human rights abuses. She integrates clinical expertise and research to strengthen trauma informed care and improve mental health support for survivors of violence and exploitation. Francesca acts as a project consultant and has been involved in the development of the survey and training of our community researchers.
David is a Professor of Social Psychology at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, in UCL's Social Research Institute. His research interests sit at the intersection of close relationships, stress, stigma and health. David acts as a mentor on the project and will particularly advise on research tools, methods and data analysis.
Tahera is a lawyer and the Founder and Director of Imkaan Welfare Organisation, leading initiatives focused on child welfare, legal identity, health, and community development in underserved communities in Karachi. Tahera is actively engaged in advocacy on statelessness and citizenship rights in Pakistan. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Statelessness and Dignified Citizenship Coalition Asia Pacific (SDCC-AP) and is a Commonwealth Scholar. She has received the Ruth Pfau Award for Ownership and the Commonwealth Points of Light Award.
Zarish is a Clinical Psychologist and part time Lecturer at Szabist University. Her work explores how psychological, social, cultural, and religious factors shape identity, wellbeing, and experiences of mental health difficulties. Zarish is the Research Assistant on the Project.
Get Involved
Whether you’re a researcher, a community member, or an organisation interested in partnering with us, we’d love to hear from you.