Expertise
- Qualitative and quantitative research design and analysis, data management, project management
Research Interests
Understanding how individual experiences, social contexts, and broader systems influence knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, which translate into the overall health and well-being of a population. Psychedelics and their potential role in addressing trauma. How psychedelic experiences may interact with the psychosocial dimensions of trauma and contribute to healing and well-being.
Psychedelics and their potential role in addressing trauma. How psychedelic experiences may interact with the psychosocial dimensions of trauma and contribute to healing and well-being.
Education
- Master of Arts (M.A.): Human Rights and Democratization, Mahidol University, Thailand and Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
- Master of Arts (M.A.): Population and Sexual and Reproductive Health, Mahidol University, Thailand
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Human Biology, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Nepal
Biosketch
Sharmila Bhandari is a PhD student in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She brings broader expertise with degrees in medicine, international law, and public health. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Sharmila worked across the Asia-Pacific and Africa region in public health, sexual and reproductive health, gender, and human rights, including with the World Health Organization Nepal, End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) International, and the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations in Bangkok. Her work has addressed issues including pandemic response, child trafficking, reproductive health and rights, and gender justice through research-based advocacy. Her doctoral research focuses on psychedelics with a particular interest in trauma. She is interested in understanding how psychological experiences intersect with social, cultural, and structural contexts to shape the well-being of a population. Her broader work connects psychology, public health, and human rights to generate research that can inform policy and programs.
Selected Awards and Honors
- Scholarship awarded by Mahidol University for the Master of Arts in Population and Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2023
- Scholarship awarded by the European Union for the Asia Pacific Master of Arts in Human Rights and Democratization, 2020
Selected Publications
- Safety of supervised and unsupervised consumption of oral drugs for inducing abortion and associated adverse outcomes: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – National Journal of Community Medicine, 2026
- How can we tackle menstrual discrimination? Put dignity at the center –Devex, 2026
Selected Presentations
- What Drives Women’s Choice for Induced Abortion in Nepal? – Presenter, Int’l Conference on Population and Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 2024
- Conference on Human Rights, Indigeneity and Human Rights in Asia and the Pacific-Presenter, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2023
- Barriers to Safe Abortion Access in Nepal - Presenter, Int’l Human Rights Conference, Bangkok, 2021