HEARD is celebrating the graduation of one of our students, Dr Princess Nyoni-Kachambwa, who was supported in her studies through the HEARD PhD Scholarship Programme. Below are a few insights on Dr Nyoni-Kachambwa’s PhD journey.

Thesis Topic: Emotional Dysregulation, Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Acquisition Risk: The Impact of the Adapted Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Intervention on Emotional Dysregulation among Young Men Residing in Rural Areas and Urban Informal Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal Province

What inspired you to start your PhD: My journey into research was not one I had originally planned. I initially aspired to study Pharmacy but was instead offered a place in Health Promotion, a field that was relatively unfamiliar to me at the time. What began as an unexpected opportunity soon became a passion.

During my undergraduate dissertation, I investigated the determinants of hygienic self-care practices among children in Harare. Through this experience, I was able to apply epidemiology and biostatistics to address a real-world public health problem, transforming concepts from the classroom into practical tools for improving health. The study also led to my first peer-reviewed publication, which ignited my passion for research.

From that point onward, I became particularly interested in epidemiological research and understanding how social, behavioural and structural factors influence health outcomes. Pursuing a PhD became a natural progression, allowing me to develop the skills needed to generate evidence that informs policy, strengthens public health programmes and improves the lives of vulnerable populations.

Main findings of your PhD: My PhD explored how emotional dysregulation, the difficulty in understanding and managing emotions influences intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and HIV acquisition risk among young men living in rural communities and urban informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. While emotional dysregulation has been widely studied in high-income countries, far less is known about its role in shaping health and behavioural outcomes among young men in low- and middle-income settings. My research sought to address this important gap.

The study found that emotional dysregulation is shaped by a combination of adverse childhood experiences, poverty, restrictive masculine norms and poor mental health, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Young men experiencing greater emotional dysregulation were more likely to engage in substance use, behaviours associated with HIV acquisition risk and the perpetration of intimate partner violence.

The research also demonstrated that a gender-transformative intervention combining relationship skills, gender equality and livelihood strengthening significantly improved emotional regulation among young men experiencing depression. Among this group, the intervention also weakened the relationship between emotional dysregulation and intimate partner violence, highlighting the value of integrating mental health support into violence prevention and HIV programmes.

What I am most proud of is that my PhD brings emotional dysregulation to the forefront as an important but often overlooked determinant of HIV risk and intimate partner violence among young men in South Africa. By combining qualitative and quantitative evidence, the research provides some of the first evidence from this context that improving emotional well-being can strengthen gender-transformative interventions and contribute to better health and social outcomes. I hope these findings will help inform future research, policy and interventions aimed at promoting healthier, safer and more equitable communities.

Your plans for the future: Looking ahead, I aspire to establish myself as a senior researcher and thought leader in population health, leading research that informs policy and improves public health programmes across Africa and globally. I am particularly passionate about translating evidence into action through research, implementation science and consulting, ensuring that scientific findings contribute to meaningful and sustainable improvements in health and well-being.

Quote: Every question we answer through research has the potential to improve lives. That possibility is what continues to inspire me.