Dr Mary Chambers

Head of Public and Community Engagement

Dr Mary Chambers has a PhD in mosquito transmission dynamics from University of Cambridge. Mary is now Head of Public and Community Engagement (PCE) at OUCRU, with the aims of creating dialogue about science in local communities and integrating community perspectives into OUCRU research studies. She manages a team of PCE staff in HCMC, Hanoi, Kathmandu and Jakarta.

Mary has a particular interest in using digital storytelling techniques to understand perceptions of local research communities, and has coordinated photo-elicitation and film projects about risk in small-scale farming practices, patient’s experiences after discharge from hospitals, health issues in vulnerable groups, and the experiences of altitude sickness in religious pilgrims in Nepal. Her team also works to build the communication capacity of local ‘front-line’ health workers and vets in Vietnam and Nepal.

The PCE team runs a school engagement programme in local schools in HCMC and Hanoi, with science clubs, online science competitions, and a weekly magazine page about science.

An example of public engagement projects that the school engagement programme team did is science theatre shows with scripts about enteric diseases, antibiotic resistance, and dengue transmission – these toured over 120 schools and were watched by over 100,000 children.

2006

Developed a training programme for local scientists and clinicians registering for PhDs at universities in the UK.

2000

Worked at a post-doctoral position at the Oxford University Clinical Research HCMC, Vietnam

Publications

Han Tran Dong Thai, Huong Van Thuy Qui, Thanh Vu Duy, Jaom Fisher, Mary Chambers

Wellcome Open Res

September 8, 2023

DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19040.2

Jennifer I Van Nuil, Megan Schmidt-Sane, Alex Bowmer, Hannah Brindle, Mary Chambers, Ragil Dien, Christine Fricke, Yen Nguyen T Hong, David Kaawa-Mafigiri, Sonia Lewycka, Samita Rijal, Shelley Lees

Qual Health Res.

July 4, 2023

DOI: 10.1177/10497323231185255

Ngan Ta Thi Dieu, Nhung Doan Phuong, My Nguyen Le Thao, Mary Chambers, Duy Manh Nguyen, Ha Thi Lien Nguyen, Huong Thi Thu Vu, Thach Ngoc Pham, Rogier van Doorn, Jennifer Ilo Van Nuil

Plos Global Public Health

March 17, 2023

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001685

Carlo Perrone, William Schilling, James J. Callery, Elizabeth A. Ashley, Mary Chambers, Hannah Chase, Piyush Dahal, Nipaphan Kanthawang, Supalert Nedsuwan, Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn, Daranee Intralawan, Abhilasha Karkey, Mayfong Mayxay, Vimalay Souvong, Hien Tran Minh, Summita Udas Shakya, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Surendra Uranw, Souphaphone Vannachione, Charles Woodrow, Nicholas J White, Phaik Yeong Cheah

Wellcome Open Res

December 1, 2022

DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16880.3