J. Anitha Menon

Prof. J. Anitha Menon is a Professor of Health Psychology and has been associated with several prestigious universities globally. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychiatry/Health Psychology from the University of Nottingham, UK. Prof. Menon is deeply committed to improving the well-being of young people and vulnerable populations. For more than three decades, she has actively contributed to research and service-oriented projects focused on young people’s sexual and reproductive health. 

She has been featured in international media and has received numerous recognitions, including the Labor Day Award from the Government of the Republic of Zambia for Innovation and Excellence, the UK Alumni Award for Professional Achievement, the African Women Leaders Award, and the Denmark Gunvald Award for Feminist Research and Service conferred by the International Council of Psychologists in 2022.

Prof. Menon joined UPES as Visiting Research Professor in Psychology in June 2023. She has served as Professor of Psychology at the University of Zambia since December 1995. She has also held Visiting Professor positions at the University of Massachusetts, USA, and the American University of Sharjah, UAE. 

In addition, she has worked as a Business Wellness Consultant at Geofluid Processors Private Limited, Mumbai, India. She is currently the Head of School for Psychology at Curtin University, Dubai.

Prof. Menon’s research interests include Mental Health of Adolescents and Young People, Gender-based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Inequality and Access to Health in Vulnerable Populations. 

She is committed to advancing knowledge that addresses the unjust burden of physical and mental health problems from a public health perspective, especially among women, adolescents, young adults, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. She has led various international projects funded by DFID, UKRI, NIH, and NORAD.

Prof. Menon views education as a liberating life experience that frees individuals from oppression, prejudice, and restrictive social conditions. She believes learning is an active and collaborative process. 

She encourages students to explore the social, psychological, cultural, historical, and political contexts of theories and ideas. Given the diverse backgrounds of university students, she creates inclusive classrooms where learners benefit not only from academic content but also from one another’s perspectives and experiences.

Over the past 30 years, Prof. Menon has taught various Psychology courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including programmes for Psychology majors, Public Health students, and MBBS learners. 

Courses taught include Health Psychology, Foundations of Psychology, Social Psychology, Research Methods, Biopsychology, Organizational Psychology, Lifespan Development, and related subjects. She has also supervised BA, MA, and Ph.D. research scholars.

• Prof. Menon has received several prestigious awards, including the Denmark-Gunvald Award for Feminist Research and Service (2022), African Women Leaders Award (2019), UK Alumni Award for Professional Achievement in Sub-Saharan Africa (2018), Most Influential Woman in Education and Training Award by CEO Global (Africa) (2017), and the Labor Day Award by the Government of Zambia (2014). 
• She has also secured research grants worth more than USD 7 million from DFID, UKRI, NIH, NORAD, USAID, and other agencies. 

Prof. Menon has made significant contributions to the development of Psychology in Zambia and became the first female full Professor of Psychology there through international review. She founded the Psychology Association of Zambia and established the Master’s and Ph.D. programmes in Psychology at the University of Zambia. 

She is internationally respected for her research on HIV, Gender-Based Violence, and vulnerable populations. She has led major research development grants, written training manuals, published more than 250 papers, and served as an external examiner for Ph.D. candidates from Australia, South Africa, India, Canada, and Norway. 

For more than a decade, she also led the University of Zambia’s institutional response to HIV and AIDS, spearheading policy and strategic planning initiatives.