In the next of our EMCR Spotlight posts, we hear from Maham Abid, Project Manager for the PM+ project within the Centre.
Introduce yourself!
I am Maham Abid, and I serve as the Project Manager for the Centre for IMPACT’s Mental Health Theme, specifically leading the WHO-Problem Management Plus (PM+) project. This initiative is an international, collaborative effort jointly led by the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), the University of York, and the University of Liverpool.
How did you end up in this field? Was there a specific moment or interest that led you to the Centre for IMPACT ?
Back in 2024, I returned to Pakistan after completing my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology for Individuals, Families, and Organizations in Italy. I was driven by a strong desire to build my capacity in research and was actively looking for an opportunity to dive deep into the field.
A turning point came when I served as a core organizing committee member for the Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) conference, led by Prof. Asad Nizami. There, I was introduced to the groundbreaking research happening at the IMPACT office within the Institute of Psychiatry. I felt instantly drawn to both the mission and the team. I joined the office in February 2025 as a Research Fellow for PM+. My dedication to this specific program stems from my clinical background in trauma research and a deep-rooted passion for supporting populations affected by adversity.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My days generally fall into two distinct, dynamic categories:
- In the Office: These days are focused on strategic management, attending stakeholder meetings, compiling progress reports, and supervising our brilliant Research Assistants (RAs) as they process the rich qualitative and quantitative data collected during our training cycles.
- In the Field: These days are highly operational and hands-on. I travel to manage logistics, deliver intensive training to mental health specialists, and oversee Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs).
What has been your favorite moment or biggest “win” within the project so far?
My favorite moment happens toward the end of every training cycle. Seeing mental health specialists transition from learning the material to becoming completely comfortable with the PM+ protocol is incredibly rewarding. Witnessing their passion to scale up the intervention within their own regions and communities makes every logistical and academic challenge completely worth it. Their commitment, especially those working in remote, low-resource settings, continually fuels my motivation.
Additionally, receiving mentorship and encouragement from senior academics and stakeholders in the global mental health field has been a massive professional win and a profound source of inspiration for me.
What are you most excited about working on in the coming year?
Looking ahead, I am particularly excited about two major milestones:
- Sustaining the Cascade: Watching the specialists we have trained pass their knowledge down to frontline healthcare workers, and actively supporting them as the PM+ intervention cascades into community-level scale-up.
- Policy & Dissemination: Disseminating our implementation findings to national stakeholders and policymakers. I am eager to see our research actively shape Pakistan’s national mental health policy, creating the sustainable, large-scale impact we have envisioned from day one.
What do you do to switch off when you aren’t doing research?
To reset during the workday, my team and I have a daily ritual of playing card games for 30 minutes after lunch; it’s a wonderful, lighthearted mental break from our heavy research work.
At home, I find solace in gardening. I love cultivating my own fruits and vegetables; right now, my garden includes blackberries, strawberries, lemons, eggplants, ladyfingers, gourds, and green chilies. Nurturing them and watching them grow is incredibly grounding. I also love playing board games with my family. It’s our favorite way to unplug from our screens and protect intentional, quality time together.
