Ruth Sawyerr
PhD Candidate, University of Ghana, Legon, Regional Institute for Population Studies
| Email: | ruthsawyerr504@gmail.com; rtsawyerr@st.ug.edu.gh |
| LinkedIn: | Connect |
Biosketch
Ruth Sawyerr is a population scientist and a final year doctoral candidate at the Regional
Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana, Legon where she currently
provides teaching support. Ruth is also a recipient of the Union for African Population Studies
(UAPS) award for the best Masters student in population studies in 2020 at the University of
Ghana. Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of internal migration on the development of
postnatal depression in Ghana.
Research Interests
The broad area of interest is in population health. With special focus on maternal mental health
and wellbeing, my doctoral research aims to;
Identify risk factors for postnatal depression among minority groups (internal migrant
women) in Ghana.
Explore experiences living and coping with depression as both migrant and postnatal
woman.
Inform targeted strategies, interventions and policies that aim to improve maternal mental
health outcomes among internal migrant women in Ghana.
Expectations as a QES Scholar during the Mobility Period
At the end of the programme, I expect to;
Experience a different research environment and gain exposure to new techniques and
approaches that will be beneficial in fine-tuning my research work.
Enhance my research capacity through research collaborations, funding opportunities,
and invitations to conferences and seminars.
Expand my professional network by collaborating with researchers from various
disciplines where I expect to gain new insight, perspectives and approaches to
researching maternal mental healthcare in Africa.
Develop requisite research skills such as writing and data analytics skills.
The QES Project and Advancement of your Career
The major goal for me as a researcher and an advocate for maternal health is to increase visibility
on maternal mental healthcare in Africa. I am certain that this visiting scholarship will provide
the opportunity for me to achieve this goal through collaborations with renowned researchers and
publications in various journals