Research Team Members
The Global South-CONNECT research team brings together scholars, activists and community organizations across Africa, Asia and the Americas who are committed to advancing decolonial disability research through collaboration, creativity, and care
This network works collectively to design and implement research grounded in local knowledge, intersectionality, and lived experiences of women and girls with disabilities in the Global South
Explore Our Global Map
Our interactive map highlights the geographic breadth of the Global South-CONNECT network. Each marker represents a team member, partner institution, or research collaborator, allowing you to explore who they are, where they work, and how their expertise contributes to the project
Click on each location to learn more about the people and partnerships shaping this initiative
Team Roles and Responsibilities
The Roles and Responsibilities document outlines how our international collaborators contribute to the project’s multi-site research process. It details key responsibilities across design, implementation, and knowledge-mobilization stages, demonstrating how shared leadership ensures that local expertise guides global research aims
Individual Research Portfolios
Each team member brings unique expertise, spanning decolonial theory, disability justice, participatory methods, digital storytelling, and community leadership. These individual portfolios offer a closer look at the people behind the project and illustrate how collective collaboration drives systemic change
Explore the full list of team profiles below
Sharlene Cassel
- National Director of Epilepsy South Africa and Chairlady of the South African disability
Dr. Alexis Padilla
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada—Associate Research Faculty, Western Michigan University; Part Time Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Deborah Stienstra
- Jarislowsky Chair in Families and Work; Director, Live Work Well Research Centre; Professor of Political Science, University of Guelph
Dr. Ngoc Lan Thi Dang
- Director of the Languge Center and Foundation Year of the Vietnamese German University (VGU)
