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Sudesh Sharma

Social Systems Scientist

Sudesh is an enthusiastic social and public health researcher with interests in understanding and addressing wicked societal challenges (such as health inequity, non-communicable diseases, climate change and sustainable development) utilising systems thinking approaches.

He has completed PhD in Health Sciences from Massey University and Master of Health Communication from the University of Sydney. He has also received coaching and training on system dynamics, systems thinking and group model building approaches in the US and Netherlands. In his PhD, he utilized combined social, public health and systems science approaches to identify the social determinants of non-communicable diseases in the context of developing countries like Nepal.  

Sudesh joined ESR as a social systems scientist in 2019 and has been engaged in range of projects from realist review and systems analysis of waste interventions to a COVID-19 related collaborative project with the University of Otago focused on social determinants of health. He is also leading the social systems team’s initiative to establish the Social Systems Lab. 

 

Current Projects include: 

  • HRC Tobacco Research Programme – Whakahā o Te Pā Harakeke
  • Ōhanga āmiomio: supporting Mātauranga Māori led inquiry through systems approaches 
  • Advancing braiding of evaluation approaches (Developmental evaluation and Kaupapa Māori evaluation) for waste minimisation and environmental sustainability
  • JUNE-NZ: an Artificial Intelligence enabled public health modelling framework for Aotearoa

Sudesh’s recent publications can be found on Research Gate here (external link)(external link)