Maria focusses on gender equality and engaging men and boys to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Her research aims to generate sustainable and effective interventions to reduce gender inequality and enhance health and education. To meet this aim, she engages in systematic evidence reviews, the co-design of evidence-based interventions with key stakeholders, and the conduct of programme evaluations, including randomised trials and qualitative research.

Maria is currently a consultant to World Health Organization, Human Reproduction Programme. As part of this role she is leading a systematic scoping review of the evidence on violence against women and girls during the Covid-19 pandemic. She is also leading a programme with WHO on masculinities and SRHR. Maria has led multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary research studies funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Medical Research Council, and the National Institute of Health Research to develop early intervention sexuality education in schools and prison settings.

She has contributed to global collaborations underway to co-design similar interventions in Uruguay, Colombia and South Africa and in 2022 joined the UNSECO/UNFPA global partnership in comprehensive sex education.

Gender, Sexuality & Power
 Education & Prevention