Overview
Background
A/Prof Stephen Bell is a senior social scientist, advisor and international development research consultant with 23 years’ experience tackling global health challenges in settings across South-East Asia, Africa, Western Pacific and Europe. He works respectfully with not-for-profits, public institutions, businesses and community organisations, using innovative, inclusive, people-centred approaches to identify sustainable solutions to critical health challenges and accelerate health equity.
As Principal Research Fellow and ‘Theme Lead - Social Science and Global Health’ at the Burnet Institute, Steve’s role includes:
- Research on young people's sexual, reproductive and maternal health, including adolescent-responsive health services and systems, contraceptive innovation, safe abortion, enabling socio-structural environments, and the intersections of health and climate change;
- Providing methodological expertise, technical support and mentoring in social science, co-design and community-based, community-led research practice across the Institute’s global health programs and business development across working groups and programs;
- Supporting a growing regional network of youth research, advocacy and thought leadership hubs across Asia and the Pacific;
- Managing and delivering consultancy, advisory and research work for institutional partners.
Steve’s work brings together lived experience, socio-ecological systems thinking and social theory to understand what works (or not) in global health and social development. He has researched and published widely on HIV, sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, neglected tropical diseases, TB and Indigenous health. He is particularly interested in understanding the socio-structural determinants of health and social inequities, and injustices associated with marginalisation due to gender, sexuality, age and geography. He has published two edited collections on interpretive and community-led approaches in research, design, monitoring and evaluation: ‘Peer research in health and social development: international perspectives on participatory research’ (2021), and ‘Monitoring and evaluation in health and social development: interpretive and ethnographic perspectives’ (2016). With international colleagues, he is working on a third edited collection called, ‘Lived Experience: Critical Perspectives in a Changing World’. Steve is currently taking on new PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of these areas, so please do reach out to him for a chat!
Steve is Commissioner on The Lancet Global Health Commission on People-Centered Care for Universal Health Coverage, Technical Consultant (Strategy and Insights) with PSI, and Member of the International Editorial Board at Culture, Health & Sexuality. Steve has served as a Senior Advisor to the Boston Consulting Group, and has worked in senior research and consultancy roles with international governments, NGOs, UNAIDS, UNFPA and WHO.
Availability
- Associate Professor Steve Bell is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Human Geography, University of Leeds
- Masters (Coursework) of Sustainable Development, Royal Holloway, University of London
- Doctor of Philosophy of Social Science (Health Practice), Royal Holloway University of London
Research interests
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Socio-structural determinants of health and wellbeing
Critical qualitative enquiry; lived experiences research; operation of determinants of health; production of health inequities
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Community action, activism and resistance for social justice and health equity
Community-based participatory research; working with community researchers; understanding operations of power; social change; role of community organisations and collectives; theorising agency
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Sexual, reproductive and maternal health of young people
Youth-led co-design of services, programs and policies; qualitative research design; health and social risks; agency and action; sex-positive and rights-based approaches
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Community-based HIV research with key populations
Individual and collective agency; forms of solidarity and action; concepts of agency, vulnerability and social practice; community-led innovation in HIV testing, treatment and care
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Innovation in qualitative, participatory and ethnographic research
Community-led research; working with community researchers; longitudinal research design; photovoice; peer research; participatory video
Works
Search Professor Steve Bell’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Other Outputs
Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: Method and data report Site 2
Blaxland, M., Bryant, J., Gardner, K., Beadman, M., Bolt, R., Doyle, M., Graham, S., Newman, C.E., Murphy, D., Bell, S., Beetson, K., Wilms, J. and Penning, K. (2021). Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: Method and data report Site 2. Sydney, NSW, Australia: CSRH, UNSW.
2021
Journal Article
Making sense of serodiscordance: pathways and aftermaths of HIV testing among couples with mixed HIV status in Papua New Guinea
Persson, Asha, Kelly-Hanku, Angela, Mek, Agnes, Mitchell, Elke, Nake Trumb, Richard, Worth, Heather and Bell, Stephen (2021). Making sense of serodiscordance: pathways and aftermaths of HIV testing among couples with mixed HIV status in Papua New Guinea. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 22 (4), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/14442213.2021.1942184
2021
Journal Article
Understanding and managing HIV infection risk among men who have sex with men in rural Uganda: a qualitative study
Nakiganda, Lydia Jacenta, Bell, Stephen, Grulich, Andrew E., Serwadda, David, Nakubulwa, Rosette, Poynten, Isobel Mary and Bavinton, Benjamin R. (2021). Understanding and managing HIV infection risk among men who have sex with men in rural Uganda: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 21 (1) 1309, 1309. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11365-9
2021
Journal Article
Beyond deficit: ‘strengths‐based approaches’ in Indigenous health research
Bryant, Joanne, Bolt, Reuben, Botfield, Jessica R., Martin, Kacey, Doyle, Michael, Murphy, Dean, Graham, Simon, Newman, Christy E., Bell, Stephen, Treloar, Carla, Browne, Annette J. and Aggleton, Peter (2021). Beyond deficit: ‘strengths‐based approaches’ in Indigenous health research. Sociology of Health & Illness, 43 (6) 1467-9566.13311, 1405-1421. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13311
2021
Other Outputs
Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: report 2
Blaxland, M., Bryant, J., Gardner, K., Beadman, M., Bolt, R., Doyle, M., Graham, S., Newman, C.E., Murphy, D., Bell, S., Beetson, K. and Wilms, J. (2021). Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: report 2. Sydney, NSW, Australia: CSRH, UNSW. doi: 10.26190/rgbz-5575
2021
Journal Article
Meet the editors
Bell, Stephen, Newman, Christy and Yang, Ligang (2021). Meet the editors. Sexual Health, 18 (2), I-II. doi: 10.1071/SHv18n2_MeetED
2021
Book
Peer research in health and social development: international perspectives on participatory research
Stephen Bell, Peter Aggleton and Ally Gibson eds. (2021). Peer research in health and social development: international perspectives on participatory research. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429316920
2021
Other Outputs
Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: Method and data report Site 1
Blaxland, M., Bryant, J., Gardner, K., Beadman, M., Bolt, R., Doyle, M., Graham, S., Newman, C.E., Murphy, D., Bell, S., Beetson, K., Wilms, J. and Penning, K. (2021). Rapid qualitative assessment of COVID-19 health needs in urban Sydney Aboriginal communities: Method and data report Site 1. Sydney, NSW, Australia: CSRH, UNSW.
2021
Book Chapter
Peer research in health and social development: Understandings, strengths and limitations
Bell, Stephen, Aggleton, Peter and Gibson, Ally (2021). Peer research in health and social development: Understandings, strengths and limitations. Peer research in health and social development: international perspectives on participatory research. (pp. 3-19) edited by Stephen Bell, Peter Aggleton and Ally Gibson. Abingdon, Oxon United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429316920-2
2021
Journal Article
Corrigendum to: A strengths-based analysis of social influences that enhance HIV testing among female sex workers in urban Indonesia
Whitford, Kate, Mitchell, Elke, Lazuardi, Elan, Rowe, Emily, Tasya, Irma Anintya, Wirawan, Dewa N, Wisaksana, Rudi, Subronto, Yanri W, Prameswari, Hellen D, Kaldor, John M and Bell, Stephen (2021). Corrigendum to: A strengths-based analysis of social influences that enhance HIV testing among female sex workers in urban Indonesia. Sexual Health, 18 (1), 122-122. doi: 10.1071/sh20085_co
2021
Journal Article
Interface between biomedical and traditional systems of treatment and care among hiv positive fisher folk in two fishing communities on lake victoria, Uganda
Tumwine, Christopher, Aggleton, Peter and Bell, Stephen (2021). Interface between biomedical and traditional systems of treatment and care among hiv positive fisher folk in two fishing communities on lake victoria, Uganda. African Health Sciences, 21 (3), 1040-1047. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v21i3.11
2021
Journal Article
A strengths-based analysis of social influences that enhance HIV testing among female sex workers in urban Indonesia
Whitford, Kate, Mitchell, Elke, Lazuardi, Elan, Rowe, Emily, Anintya, Irma Tasya, Wirawan, Dewa N., Wisaksana, Rudi, Subronto, Yanri W., Prameswari, Hellen D., Kaldor, John M. and Bell, Stephen (2021). A strengths-based analysis of social influences that enhance HIV testing among female sex workers in urban Indonesia. Sexual Health, 18 (1), 77-83. doi: 10.1071/sh20085
2021
Journal Article
Working with Aboriginal young people in sexual health research: a peer research methodology in remote Australia
Bell, Stephen, Aggleton, Peter, Lockyer, Andrew, Ferguson, Tellisa, Murray, Walbira, Silver, Bronwyn, Kaldor, John, Maher, Lisa and Ward, James (2021). Working with Aboriginal young people in sexual health research: a peer research methodology in remote Australia. Qualitative Health Research, 31 (1) 1049732320961348, 16-28. doi: 10.1177/1049732320961348
2020
Journal Article
Community perspectives on scabies, impetigo and mass drug administration in Fiji: a qualitative study
Mitchell, Elke, Bell, Stephen, Thean, Li Jun, Sahukhan, Aalisha, Kama, Mike, Koroivueti, Aminiasi, Kaldor, John, Steer, Andrew and Romani, Lucia (2020). Community perspectives on scabies, impetigo and mass drug administration in Fiji: a qualitative study. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (12) e0008825, e0008825. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008825
2020
Journal Article
Increasing HIV treatment access, uptake and use among men who have sex with men in urban Indonesia: evidence from a qualitative study in three cities
Lazuardi, Elan, Newman, Christy E., Anintya, Irma, Rowe, Emily, Wirawan, Dewa N., Wisaksana, Rudi, Subronto, Yanri W., Kusmayanti, Nur Aini, Iskandar, Shelly, Kaldor, John and Bell, Stephen (2020). Increasing HIV treatment access, uptake and use among men who have sex with men in urban Indonesia: evidence from a qualitative study in three cities. Health Policy and Planning, 35 (1), 16-25. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czz128
2020
Journal Article
Young Aboriginal people's sexual health risk reduction strategies: a qualitative study in remote Australia
Bell, Stephen, Ward, James, Aggleton, Peter, Murray, Walbira, Silver, Bronwyn, Lockyer, Andrew, Ferguson, Tellisa, Fairley, Christopher K., Whiley, David, Ryder, Nathan, Donovan, Basil, Guy, Rebecca, Kaldor, John and Maher, Lisa (2020). Young Aboriginal people's sexual health risk reduction strategies: a qualitative study in remote Australia. Sexual Health, 17 (4), 303-310. doi: 10.1071/SH19204
2020
Journal Article
How male sex workers and their clients shifted from reluctance about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis to advocating for its use: a longitudinal mixed methods study
MacGibbon, James, Minichiello, Victor, Prestage, Garrett, Bell, Stephen, Cox, Cameron, Donovan, Basil and Callander, Denton (2020). How male sex workers and their clients shifted from reluctance about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis to advocating for its use: a longitudinal mixed methods study. AIDS and Behavior, 24 (3), 782-790. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02618-1
2020
Journal Article
Polygyny, serodiscordance and HIV prevention in Papua New Guinea: a qualitative exploration of diverse configurations
Persson, Asha, Kelly-Hanku, Angela, Mek, Agnes, Mitchell, Elke, Nake Trumb, Richard, Worth, Heather and Bell, Stephen (2020). Polygyny, serodiscordance and HIV prevention in Papua New Guinea: a qualitative exploration of diverse configurations. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 21 (3), 248-263. doi: 10.1080/14442213.2020.1758202
2020
Journal Article
Young Aboriginal people's engagement with STI testing in the Northern Territory, Australia
Bell, Stephen, Aggleton, Peter, Ward, James, Murray, Walbira, Silver, Bronwyn, Lockyer, Andrew, Ferguson, Tellisa, Fairley, Christopher K., Whiley, David, Ryder, Nathan, Donovan, Basil, Guy, Rebecca, Kaldor, John and Maher, Lisa (2020). Young Aboriginal people's engagement with STI testing in the Northern Territory, Australia. BMC Public Health, 20 (1) 459, 459. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08565-0
2020
Journal Article
Two distinct gonorrhea trends and risk factors among women in Australia
Whitford, Kate, Callander, Denton, Smith, Lucy Watchirs, Guy, Rebecca, Kong, Marlene, Ward, James, Donovan, Basil, McManus, Hamish, Bell, Stephen, McGregor, Skye, Menon, Arun, Russell, Darren and O'Connor, Catherine C. (2020). Two distinct gonorrhea trends and risk factors among women in Australia. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 47 (1), 34-40. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001086
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Steve Bell is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Young people and global health across Asia and the Pacific
Steve’s work brings together lived experience, socio-ecological systems thinking and social theory to understand what works (or not) in global health and social development. He has researched and published widely on HIV, sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, neglected tropical diseases, TB and Indigenous health. He is particularly interested in understanding the socio-structural determinants of health and social inequities, and injustices associated with marginalisation due to gender, sexuality, age and geography. He has also published two books on interpretive and community-led approaches in research, design, monitoring and evaluation: ‘Peer research in health and social development: international perspectives on participatory research’ (2021), and ‘Monitoring and evaluation in health and social development: interpretive and ethnographic perspectives’ (2016). He is currently taking on new PhD students in these areas, with particular interest examining young people's experiences of global health across Asia and the Pacific. Please reach out for a chat if you're interested in any of the following topics:
- Solutions-oriented approaches, led by young people – as researchers, advocates, health experts and agents of change – that will enable a step-change in youth-centred health care
- Understanding and tackling the broad array of socio-structural determinants of health and wellbeing
- Design, implementation and evaluation of adolescent-responsive health services
- Innovation in community-located, community-led models of health care and support, including self-care approaches
- Understanding the impacts of climate on young people’s health and health service provision, and young people’s work to adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change on their lives, families and communities
Media
Enquiries
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