Rashmi Pithavadian, BA, MRes, FHEA, PhD candidate

Rashmi Pithavadian is a health sociologist, social scientist and qualitative researcher. She has attained her qualifications and then worked as a sessional academic, research assistant, and research officer at Western Sydney University. As a health sociologist, her award-winning research and university teaching utilises a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to analyse how social factors marginalise and impact individuals’ health, wellbeing, and rights. Rashmi has taught students at Western Sydney University across undergraduate programs for allied health professions, the Master of Public Health program, and Year 1–3 students in the Doctor of Medicine.

Through her research, Rashmi has worked with diverse people such as migrants and refugees, vulnerable children and youth, LGBTQ+ communities, those having a sexual dysfunction, or groups living with a disability and has published on these topics. She has contributed a published entry to define the concept of ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’ in the international Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology & Behavior and explained its distinction from sexual and reproductive health. Her special area of research interest is vaginismus with several publications and a podcast on the topic that can be accessed in the Research section.

As a social scientist, Rashmi focuses on understanding people’s experiences of marginalisation. She has investigated, collaborated and published with experts in Australia and around the world on Racial Capitalism, how structures of Whiteness operate to marginalise minority groups in Videogames, and minority people’s experiences in the Australian justice and legal system. This research can be accessed in the book chapters section.

Rashmi is an experienced qualitative researcher who has provided extensive consultancy to support qualitative components of health-based projects with Colgate, University of Sydney, Local Health Districts in NSW, Australian research council grants, and thesis projects of postgraduate students at Western Sydney University and University of Sydney. She offers qualitative consultancy services which you can enquire about through the Contact me information.