Brendan Maughan-Brown, PhD & Rebecca Maughan-Brown, MSW, MPH
Co-founders and South African Branch Heads
Brendan Maughan-Brown is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town's Southern African Labour and Development Research Unit. His current research focuses on HIV-related stigma and the socio-demographic/economic determinants of HIV, including multiple concurrent partnerships and circumcision. Brendan completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Natal, and honors year at the University of Cape Town. After several years foreign travel and teaching, he returned to South Africa to begin his graduate studies. Brendan received his PhD in 2008 after a four-year study of HIV-related stigma and its changes over time. During this time, he was awarded the Fox International Fellowship to pursue his research for a year at Yale University. Upon completing his doctoral studies, Brendan worked for the Centre for Social Science Research as the coordinator of the Cape Area Panel Study, a longitudinal survey of young adults in Cape Town. Now, having ceased his trans-Atlantic commute to balance his personal and professional life, he is happily settled in Cape Town with his wife.
Rebecca Maughan-Brown (née Schrier) is a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town’s AIDS and Society Research Unit. She is currently involved in a collaborative outreach and education project with Cape Town-based NGO Kheth’Impilo. Rebecca earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the College of William and Mary. She continued her studies to earn masters degrees in social work with a focus on social policy and public health concentrating in maternal and child health from Tulane University. Upon completing graduate school (albeit a bit delayed due to Hurricane Katrina), Rebecca was hired to head the Department of Student Health Education at Yale University Health Services where she remained for four years. During her time at Yale, Rebecca became a certified health education specialist (CHES), and completed training through the state of Connecticut to work as a sexual assault crisis responder. In addition to her campus work in organizing and implementing health promotion education, she also worked part time at Yale’s Sexual Assault Resources and Education (SHARE) Center. Rebecca relocated to Cape Town, South Africa with her husband in August 2010 with a desire to put her skills to work on the ground in this beautiful country.
Leigh is a certified Holistic Health Coach and owner of me organic, a lifestyle and wellness business with her own gluten and dairy free food range. After graduating from the University of Natal with an undergraduate degree in marketing, she made her way to London where she worked for two large online companies, Expedia and bol.com, managing their strategic partnerships. With 7 years under her belt, she made a move to New York with her husband and worked for a top affiliate marketing agency for over 2 years. During this time Leigh went back to studying and graduated with honours in 2009 from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. With a passion for health and natural alternatives to illness, she now spends her time coaching others to create a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. Returning to London in 2010, she is focused on completing a diploma in both sports nutrition and naturopathy. Despite living overseas for close to 12 years now, Leigh is still very much attached to South Africa, its people and its culture and regularly travels back to visit each year. By getting involved at a grass roots level, she believes this is the best way she can give back to such an amazing country.
Leigh Rogers
UK Branch Head
Leigh is a certified Holistic Health Coach and owner of me organic, a lifestyle and wellness business with her own gluten and dairy free food range. After graduating from the University of Natal with an undergraduate degree in marketing, she made her way to London where she worked for two large online companies, Expedia and bol.com, managing their strategic partnerships. With 7 years under her belt, she made a move to New York with her husband and worked for a top affiliate marketing agency for over 2 years. During this time Leigh went back to studying and graduated with honours in 2009 from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. With a passion for health and natural alternatives to illness, she now spends her time coaching others to create a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. Returning to London in 2010, she is focused on completing a diploma in both sports nutrition and naturopathy. Despite living overseas for close to 12 years now, Leigh is still very much attached to South Africa, its people and its culture and regularly travels back to visit each year. By getting involved at a grass roots level, she believes this is the best way she can give back to such an amazing country.
