Global Parenting Initiative Executive Team Welcomes 2023-2024 Future Leaders Representative Dr Amanda Sim

Equitable governance and collaborative knowledge exchange are core principles of the Global Parenting Initiative, advancing our objective of fostering leadership and excellence in the Global South. In line with these principles, a representative is elected annually from our Future Leaders Programme* to sit on the GPI Executive Team, where they ensure that the perspectives and voices of young leaders from the Global South are included in the decision-making processes and strategic direction of the GPI.

The GPI Executive team is pleased to welcome Dr Amanda Sim, Co-principal Investigator on our Parenting on the Thailand/Myanmar Border study, for her tenure as the Future Leaders Executive Representative for the 2023-2024 year. We sat down with Amanda to find out more about her, her work, and what she hopes to bring to the GPI Executive Team.

Tell us a little bit about yourself ?

I was born in Thailand, grew up in Japan, Singapore and the UK, did my undergraduate and Master’s degrees in the USA, and completed a DPhil at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at Oxford University. I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. Prior to doing my DPhil, I worked with the International Rescue Committee in Afghanistan, Liberia, Thailand, and Ethiopia implementing and evaluating parenting, mental health, and violence prevention interventions.

Tell us a little bit about your work?

I am Co-Principal Investigator (together with Dr Eve Puffer at Duke University and colleagues at Mahidol University in Thailand) of the Parenting on the Thailand/Myanmar Border project. Millions of people have been displaced from Myanmar into Thailand as a result of decades of armed conflict and political and economic instability. Children and families from Myanmar lack equitable access to health and social services, including parenting and mental health support, despite evidence suggesting high levels of violence and psychological distress. Together with partners Sermpanya Foundation, Mae Tao Clinic, Help Without Frontiers, and Inclusive Education Foundation, we are evaluating the impacts of a universal, population-level film intervention to reduce child maltreatment and promote positive parenting among families living on the border. While film and other entertainment-education interventions have been shown to improve a range of health-related outcomes, to our knowledge this will be the first time that such an intervention will be tested among displaced populations in a low-resource setting. 

In addition to my work with GPI, I lead a programme of research to examine and address the mental health needs of refugee and other newcomer children and families in Canada. I also teach a Master’s course every year on Refugee Health.

What made you apply for this role?

I am very interested in contributing to the strategic direction of GPI as a continuing force for knowledge generation, advocacy, and innovation beyond the 5-year grant period. Engaging with GPI leaders and with donors, partners, and other stakeholders will provide valuable insight into the perceived gaps in the field and how current and future iterations of GPI could be designed to best address those gaps.

What is the main thing you hope to contribute to the Executive Team this year?

I hope to be able to represent the goals, concerns, and needs of GPI Future Leaders on the Executive Team, as the professional development and advancement of early career professionals like myself are a core objective of the GPI. 
 

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“The Executive Team is excited to work with Amanda!”, said Dr Jamie Lachman, GPI Lead, “We look forward to learning from her experience working with displaced communities in Thailand and Myanmar, and working alongside her to further the strategic goals of the GPI”.

*The GPI Future Leaders Programme brings together our incredibly talented group of early career professionals working on GPI projects around the world, offering them opportunities for training and shared learning, mentorship, and networking.