Experts

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Experts

International Health and Culture

Vincent O'Brien - Principal Lecturer in Public Health

• Visual Ethnography
• International Health
• Migrant Health
• Health Ethics

Vincent has been internationally recognised for his innovative working using participatory video and photography. During 2008 Vincent was Visiting Professor at the State University of New York where he taught international health and culture at the University's Cortland campus. At the moment he is working with research partners at the University of Ottawa on development of a new participatory visual ethnography project exploring the everyday experiences of migrant women in Canada. While he was teaching in New York he was awarded honorary membership of the American Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, for his "contribution to international education and scholarship".

Vincent has a wide range of academic and research interests and has worked with universities, researchers and communities in Armenia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, the USA and New Zealand. Since 2002 he has led a number of EU funded projects with partners in Kyrgyzstan and Finland and he is currently leading the University's team working on a multi country European Public Health project focusing on reducing child and adolescent obesity.

In 2006 Vincent established Visible Voice, a participatory visual research and community development initiative. Visible Voice makes use of participatory research techniques tin support of health and community development. His work within Visible Voice includes participatory video and photography projects with semi nomadic herder communities in remote mountain areas of Kyrgyzstan, residents of the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro and refugee and migrant communities living in the in the North West of England. Project films, photographs and more information about Visible Voice is available at www.visiblevoice.info|

Current Projects

Visible Voice / Ak Terek Foundation- Adapting to Environmental and Cultural Change in Rural Kyrgyzstan Visible Voice, Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, Viramundo Brazil: Using participatory photography and video for health and community development in Brazil and Kyrgyzstan The Health Experiences of Migrants in the North West (University of Chester PhD study) Cumbria Conditions Management Programme (Cumbria NHS) In Form: Reducing Child and Adolescent Obesity (European Public Health Executive Agency)

Vincent is Course Leader for the MSc International Health.