Associate ProfessorSarah Bernays

My research areas is the development of person-centred care to improve health outcomes, implemented at scale, in relation to infectious disease and mental health outcomes.

• I have contributed new knowledge on the social and structural influences on community and individual engagement with infectious disease prevention and care (HIV and other STIs, TB, COVID) and related outcomes, with a particular focusing on supporting person-centred care and mental health.
• My research has contributed to WHO policy and global guidelines on adolescent HIV and TB and partner services on STIs.
• I have played an instrumental role in pioneering the integration of social science and community-guided research in complex trials, including in co-designing interventions (e.g. CHIEDZA trial), evaluating effectiveness of impact (e.g. BREATHER and Zvandiri), and in identifying best methodological practices to support community-centred research and governance, including developing Youth Research Academy and more inclusive and just research practices (Zimbabwe).
• For over a decade I have been the lead social science researcher guiding the implementation of community-based peer-delivered mental health and HIV engagement intervention (Zvandiri) operating at scale in Zimbabwe and being implemented in 13 other African countries.

I have two portfolios of work in which I explore the above- Stream 1 in in Southern Africa (HIV, TB and Sexual and reproductive health) and Stream 2 is in Asia- Pacific (TB). Throughout all my research I am building capacity to deliver influential implementation science that shape design and uptake of integrated, system-ready interventions which improve outcomes for under-served communities and populations groups.

Stream 1: This portfolio of work is concentrated in Zimbabwe but consolidated through ongoing collaborative research in South Africa and Uganda (continuous research studies funded since 2011).

Primary area is development, evaluation and implementation of community-delivered integrated health services to support HIV and health outcomes for young people.

1.          Templeton -Zvandiri collaboration (2021-2026). Co-CI-A. Collaboration with Zvandiri (since 2015)- leading mental health service delivery for adolescents living with HIV in Southern Africa. Multiple studies and policy-changing outputs including WHO Global Guidelines. Zimbabwe.
2.        RESTORE (NHMRC & NIHR, GACD grant -2026-2029), development and implementation of person-centered integrated multi-morbidity care for individuals on TB treatment and care (Zimbabwe). Co CI-A and lead social scientist. Zimbabwe.   
3.          PROMISE (NIHR), (2026-2030), large clinical trial investigating whether screening/management of STIs compared to syndromic management in pregnancy improves mother/infant outcomes. CI and lead social science work package. Zimbabwe.
4.          Kids with Kids Study (2023-2026), Gates Foundation. Mixed methods study assessing post-conception care for adolescents. Leading national dialogue to change legislative and policy environment to improve outcomes for pregnant children. Co CI-A and lead social scientist.  Zimbabwe and Southern African region.

Stream 2: 

In addition to this extensive research portfolio, I have a second aligned portfolio in the Asia-Pacific focused on the development, delivery and implementation of person-centred care focused on Tuberculosis. I have played a leading role in integrating community-centered agendas within existing (predominately) trials-based TB research through ensuring that social science is embedded. 

5.    Sydney Asia-Pacific Partnership for Health Innovations and Resilient Ecosystems (SAPPHIRE), DFAT funded. Vietnam, Fiji and Kiribati (2024-2028). CI and Lead of Social Science and Gender equity, Social inclusion and Disability (GEDSI) portfolio.

6.    Centre for Research Excellence (CRE)- Ending Tuberculosis on both sides of the border (2024-2029) Playing a leading role in shifting the    emphasis towards community-agenda and building substantial social science TB capacity throughout Australia, including through collaborations with Monash, Burnett and Menzies in NT. Developed two Community advisory boards (Australia and Vietnam) to guide our TB research. Established a Learning project study to develop best practices for TB-focused community engaged research.

7.    A GIFT (Genomics for Infection Prevention and Therapy) to the Neighbourhood: Metagenomics enabled tracking, treatment and prevention of priority infections in culturally diverse communities (2025-2027). CI-G- MRFF grant. NSW, Australia.

Recently completed projects:

8.         CHIEDZA (Wellcome Grant funded, 2019-2023)-Leading the process evaluation of a large cluster randomised trial of a community-based adolescent sexual and reproductive health intervention in Zimbabwe. Recently completed.

9.         STICH (2019-2024). Lead social scientist of process evaluation of an STI trial for adolescents in Zimbabwe. Rethinking partner notification with adolescents, improving the options. Zimbabwe.  Recently completed.

10.   Y-Check (NIHR, 2020-2025), implementation evaluation of comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe. CI and lead social scientist. Ongoing.

11.   GIFT: evaluate the use experiences and perceptions of the GIFT device, South Africa and Zimbabwe (2022-2026). CI and lead social scientist.

12.   BREATHER+ (2020-2025) multi-country clinical trial focused on innovative HIV treatment administration for adolescents living with HIV. Co-lead of social science work package. Specifically, a randomised open-label 2-arm, 96-week trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and acceptability of short cycle therapy (five days on, two days off) dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) compared to daily dolutegravir-based ART in virologically suppressed HIV-infected adolescents aged 12-<20 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. Lead qualitative sub-study. 

13.   LATA (2022-2026), multi-country clinical trial examining safety of long-acting injectable HIV treatment for adolescents. Co-lead of social science work package. 

Research degree supervision: 

In terms of research degree supervision,I currently supervise three international PhD students at University of Sydney and two PhD students who are registered at LSHTM, based in Zimbabwe, and one at the Menzies Centre, Northern Territory, Australia. I am on the advisory board of four other Zimbabwe-based PhD. I have supervised 13 PhD students through to completion and been an associate supervisor for 6 other completed PhDs.

The topics of these current PhDs include: 

• Strengthening the epistemic power of local, regional and global community fora, including community advisory boards, to inform and influence communicable disease research, preparedness and policy.
• Examining health system resilience and inclusiveness. 
• Developing community-responsive delivery of care for communicable diseases, with a focus on tuberculosis and HIV for communities who are historically marginalised, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in remote regions of Australia and adolescents in Southern Africa.  
• Collaborative, participatory research with young people to support the implementation of protective policies around reproductive justice for adolescent mothers in Southern Africa.