Bonita Matthews is an Academic Lecturer in the Public Health MSc programme at Bournemouth University.

Bonita was a graduate of Bournemouth University in 2001 and 2011. Since graduating from Bournemouth University, Bonita’s professional career has led her to work and continue her studies throughout the United Kingdom (UK). Bonita has a professional background in paediatric nursing, urgent care, safeguarding, child protection, and public health. Bonita has provided expert consultancy in the field of safeguarding children and adults to private healthcare providers, voluntary and community services. Bonita has written papers for the Department of Health (DOH) and has project managed for the NHS.

Bonita has experience in teaching at public senior school educational establishments, with pastoral responsibility as Head of Year, safeguarding, mental health and well-being for the students. More recently Bonita was affiliated to the Academic team in the post graduate programme for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN), at Bournemouth University...

Currently Bonita remains in practice working occasional hours with the National Health Service (NHS), as a SCPHN for children and young people and is an expert in safeguarding children within the public health field.

Throughout her career, Bonita has developed a keen interest in capturing the lived experience of children and young people, and developing public health interventions with the aim of reducing health inequalities. Current work stream planning and research interests ensure that the agenda for Sustainable Development are taken into account.

Research interests and expertise

• Neurodevelopment and neuropathway formation at transition points throughout the life course, with particular focus on the impacts on mental health.

• Safeguarding and child protection specifically child exploitation as a public health inequality.

• Specialist public health in health care and the lived experience of children and young people.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education (HE).