The Population Council tackles intersecting inequalities that undermine rights and access to contraception, HIV and STI prevention, maternal and newborn health, safe abortion, prevention and treatment of infertility, and sexuality education, among other sexual and reproductive health needs. Our research and partnerships ensure high quality, evidence-based, voluntary, and rights-based comprehensive care for sexual and reproductive health.
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Submissions from 2023
Advancing Social and Behavior Change Measurement in Family Planning, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Alcohol use, HIV stigma and quality of life among alcohol consuming men living with HIV in India: A mediation analysis, Toan Ha, Hui Shi, Roopal Jyoti Singh, Sushma S. Gaikwad, Kavita Joshi, Rupal Padiyar, Jean J. Schensul, and Stephen L. Schensul
Amref Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) model for female genital mutilation/cutting, teenage pregnancies, and child, early and forced marriages in Kenya: A stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial protocol, Tammary Esho, Julia Scholten, Hilke Conradi, David Kawai, Bernard Mbogo, Denge Lugayo, Yvonne Opanga, Samuel Muhula, and Dennis Matanda
Are we investing in sexual and reproductive health products that people want to use?, Sanyukta Mathur and Lisa Haddad
Assessing the health, social, educational and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: A rapid review of the literature, Astha Ramaiya, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Rosalijn Both, Ann Gottert, Silvia Guglielmi, Sam Beckwith, Mengmeng Li, and Robert W. Blum
A structural and provider behavior change approach to enhancing respectful, integrative, responsive care for hospitalized young children (0–24 months) in Kenya, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Authorization of midwives to perform basic emergency obstetric and newborn care signal functions in Argentina, Ghana, and India: A multi-country validation study of a key global maternal and newborn health indicator, Sowmya Ramesh, Suchandrima Chakraborty, Richard M. Adanu, Delia Bandoh, Mabel Berrueta, Jewel Gausman, Nizamuddin Khan, Ernest Kenu, Ana Langer, Carolina Nigri, Magdalene Odikro, Veronica Pingray, Niranjan Saggurti, Paula Vázquez, Caitlin R. Williams, and R. Rima Jolivet
Baseline preferences for oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or dapivirine intravaginal ring for HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe (MTN-034/IPM-045 study), Kenneth Ngure, Barbara Friedland, Daniel W. Szydlo, Sarah Roberts, Morgan Garcia, Lisa Levy, Carolyne Akello, Krishnaveni Reddy, Thesla Palanee-Phillips, Pippa Macdonald, Bekezela Siziba, Lydia Soto-Torres, Sybil Hosek, Sharon L. Hillier, Gonasagrie Nair, Connie Celum, and Ariane van der Straten
Behavioral sentinel surveillance survey in Nigeria: Endline technical report, Paul Hutchinson, Adolor Aisiri, Udochisom Anaba, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, U. C. Ifunanya Ozoadibe, and Dele Abegunde
Behavioral sentinel surveillance survey in Nigeria: Endline technical report for couples, Paul L. Hutchinson, Adolor Aisiri, Udochisom Anaba, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, U. C. Ifunanya Ozoadibe, Dominique Meekers, and Dele Abegunde
Breaking Down Barriers to Aid: A 16 Days of Activism Q&A with Chi-Chi Undie, Population Council
Breakthrough RESEARCH Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance (BSS) Survey: Baseline, Paul L. Hutchinson, Dele Abegunde, Adolor Aisiri, Udochisom Anaba, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, and U. C. Ifunanya Ozoadibe
Breakthrough RESEARCH Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance (BSS) Survey: Endline, Paul L. Hutchinson, Dele Abegunde, Adolor Aisiri, Udochisom Anaba, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, and U. C. Ifunanya Ozoadibe
Breakthrough RESEARCH Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance (BSS) Survey: Midline, Paul L. Hutchinson, Dele Abegunde, Adolor Aisiri, Udochisom Anaba, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, and U. C. Ifunanya Ozoadibe
Bridge over troubled waters: Women-led response to maternal and child health services in India amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Aastha Kant and Avishek Hazra
Calling Attention to Experiences of Care for Hospitalized Newborns and Young Children to Improve Newborn and Child Survival, Chantalle Okondo
Challenges in obstetric morbidity and mortality, with special reference to India: A literature review, Shromona Dhara, Arupendra Mozumdar, and Subho Roy
Changement de comportement des prestataires : approches de changement social et de comportement pour la qualité des soins dans la planification familiale, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Changement social et comportemental et environnement favorable à la planification familiale, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Characterization of viruses in Phase 3 and Phase 3b trials (the Ring Study and the Dapivirine Ring Extended Access and Monitoring Trial) of the Dapivirine vaginal ring for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection risk reduction, John Steytler, Charles Craig, Elna van der Ryst, Ben Van Baelen, Jeremy Nuttall, Neliette van Niekerk, John Mellors, Urvi Parikh, and Carole Wallis
Clinical presentation, treatment response, and virology outcomes of women who seroconverted in the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Trials—The Ring Study and DREAM, John Steytler, Elna van der Ryst, Charles Craig, Ben Van Baelen, Jeremy Nuttall, Neliette van Niekerk, John Mellors, Urvi Parikh, and Carole Wallis
Coming Full Circle: Microbicide Development at the Population Council, James Sailer, Barbara Friedland, Diantha Pillay, Christopher J. Elias, Sharon L. Hillier, and Georgina Caswell
Commentary: Multipurpose prevention technologies—What about sexually transmitted infections?, Anjanique Mariquit Rosete Lu and Lisa Haddad
Comment mesurer l’impact du changement de comportement des prestataires, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): What do we know, and where do we go from here?, Nicole Haberland
Comprehensive sexuality education linked to sexual and reproductive health services reduces early and unintended pregnancies among in-school adolescent girls in Zambia, Michael Mbizvo, Kondwani Kasonda, Nelly-Claire Muntalima, Joseph G. Rosen, Sophie Inambwae, Edith S. Namukonda, Ronald Mungoni, Natasha Okpara, Chifundo Phiri, Nachela Chelwa, and Chabu Kangale
Cost-effectiveness analysis comparing integrated and malaria-only social and behavior change programming in Nigeria: Final report, Avenir Health
Cost-effectiveness analysis comparing integrated and malaria-only social and behavior change programming in Nigeria: Midline analysis, Avenir Health
Costing for family planning social and behavior change programming, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Costing for family planning social and behavior change—Slide deck, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Coût de la programmation du changement social et comportemental pour la planification familiale, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Creating reproductive health behavioral profiles for women of reproductive age in Niger using cross-sectional survey data: A latent class analysis, Leanne Dougherty, Nicole M. Bellows, and Chaibou Dadi
Deconstructing Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, Jerry Okoth Okal
Deep eutectic solvents for subcutaneous delivery of protein therapeutics, Alexander M. Curreri, Jayoung Kim, Michael Dunne, Pavimol Angsantikul, Morgan Goetz, Yongsheng Gao, and Samir Mitragotri
Design of an international male contraceptive efficacy trial using a self-administered daily transdermal gel containing testosterone and segesterone acetate (Nestorone), John K. Amory, Diana Blithe, Régine Sitruk-Ware, Ronald S. Swerdloff, William J. Bremner, Clint Dart, Peter Y. Liu, Arthi Thirumalai, Brian T. Nguyen, Bradley D. Anawalt, Min S. Lee, Stephanie T. Page, and Christina Wang
Development of mucoadhesive electrospun scaffolds for intravaginal delivery of Lactobacilli spp., a tenside, and metronidazole for the management of bacterial vaginosis, Margaret O. Ilomuanya, Peace O. Bassey, Deborah A. Ogundemuren, Uloma N. Ubani-Ukoma, Alkiviadis Tsamis, Yuwei Fan, Konstantinos Michalakis, Pavimol Angsantikul, Abdulrahman Usman, and Andrew N. Amenaghawon
Differences in quality of care of family planning services received by age and contraceptive continuation among young mothers in India, Elizabeth Tobey, Aparna Jain, and Arupendra Mozumdar
Does size matter? A randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of external diameter on adherence to 3 different intravaginal rings among 24 US couples, Irene Bruce, Marlena Gehret Plagianos, Jessica M. Sales, Jessica Atrio, Shakti Shetty, Caio Sant’Anna Marinho, Brady Zieman, Lisa Haddad, and Barbara Friedland
Drug reprofiling to identify potential HIV-1 protease inhibitors, Sunday Okafor, Abigail Meyer, Jay Gadsden, Fadi Ahmed, Lilian Guzmán, Hashim Ahmed, José Fernández-Romero, and Pavimol Angsantikul
Effect of mentorship and a mHealth application in updating provider skills and knowledge in maternal and newborn care in two informal settlements of Nairobi, Charity Ndwiga, Timothy Abuya, Chantalle Okondo, Sharon Akinyi, Anneka Wickramanayake, and Charlotte E. Warren
Effects of a clinic-based reproductive empowerment intervention on proximal outcomes of contraceptive use, self-efficacy, attitudes, and awareness and use of survivor services: A cluster-controlled trial in Nairobi, Kenya, Jasmine Uysal, Sabrina Boyce, Chi-Chi Undie, Wilson Liambila, Seri Wendoh, Erin Pearson, Nicole E. Johns, and Jay G. Silverman
El impacto del cambio climático en la salud: experiencias de la juventud de Bangladesh, Guatemala y Nigeria, Population Council and Women Deliver
Embedding implementation research to cross the quality of care chasm during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond, Michael A. Peters, Keith Cloete, George Odwe, Gizachew Tadele, Lisa R. Hirschhorn, Hema Magge, and Sanam Roder-DeWan
Equipping providers to offer novel MPTs: Developing counseling messages for the Dual Prevention Pill in clinical studies and beyond, Kate Segal, Danielle M. Harris, Andy Carmone, Lisa Haddad, Sanjay Hadigal, Karin Hatzold, Chris Jones, Eva Lathrop, Jennifer Mason, and Meridith Mikulich
Evaluating a scalable ARCHES (Addressing Reproductive Coercion in Health Settings) model in government health facilities in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya: Study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial, Erin Pearson, Jasmine Uysal, Jamie Menzel, Chi-Chi Undie, George Odwe, Wilson Liambila, and Jay G. Silverman
Evaluating the association of antiretroviral therapy and immune status with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among people with HIV, Lynn M. Yee, Denise L. Jacobson, Lisa Haddad, Jennifer Jao, Kathleen M. Powis, Deborah Kacanek, Rebecca Zash, Alexandria Diperna, and Ellen G. Chadwick
Evaluation of Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria’s social and behavior change public sector capacity strengthening approach, Adetayo Adetunji, Dele Abegunde, Augustine Ankomah, Nrupa Jani, Pooja Sripad, and Bright Addo
Evaluation of RISE II integrated social and behavior change activities in Niger: Family planning; maternal, newborn, and child health; immunization; nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Evidence from the implementation of a social accountability approach to improve family planning services: Perspectives from community members and health workers in Togo, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Examining the characteristics of social and behavior change communication intervention costs in low- and middle-income countries: A hedonic method approach, Lori Bollinger, Nicole M. Bellows, and Rachael Linder
Examining the longitudinal relationship between intimate partner violence and couples’ marital quality in rural India, Sangeeta Chatterji, Nicole Johns, Mohan Ghule, Shahina Begum, Sarah Averbach, Madhusudan Battala, and Anita Raj
Expanding delivery of and access to evidence-based comprehensive HIV/SRH services among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons in Nigeria, Anita Fernandez, Adebola A. Adedimeji, Waimar Tun, Ann Gottert, and Julie Pulerwitz
Exploring the accuracy of self-reported maternal and newborn care in select studies from low and middle-income country settings: Do respondent and facility characteristics affect measurement?, Katharine McCarthy, Ann K. Blanc, Charlotte E. Warren, Ashish Bajracharya, and Benjamin Bellows
Exploring user and stakeholder perspectives from South Africa and Uganda to refine microarray patch development for HIV PrEP delivery and as a multipurpose prevention technology, Ayesha Ismail, Sarah Magni, Anne Katahoire, Florence Ayebare, Godfrey Siu, Fred Semitala, Peter Kyambadde, Barbara Friedland, Courtney Jarrahian, and Maggie Kilbourne-Brook
Factors influencing community-facility linkage for case management of possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI) among young infants in Kenya, George Odwe, Wilson Liambila, Kezia K'Oduol, Zipporah Nyangacha, Hellen Gwaro, Alexandra Haake Kamberos, and Lisa R. Hirschhorn
Faire progresser la mesure des changements sociaux et comportementaux en matière de planification familiale, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Feasibility and acceptability of LNG 1.5 mg as an on-demand pericoital contraceptive in Ghana, Brent McCann, Tina Liang, Saumya RamaRao, Emmanuel Kuffour, Augustine Ankomah, Jessica Vandermark, Henry Bruce, Pius Essandoh, and Angela Boateng
Financing gaps for Pakistan's contraceptive prevalence goals: Analyses using the Guttmacher adding-it-up methodology, Zeba Sathar, Susheela Singh, Sabahat Hussain, and Maqsood Sadiq
Findings from a mixed methods evaluation of an integrated social and behavior change approach to improve health outcomes in Niger, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Gestational weight gain in persons with HIV in the United States, Jennifer Jao, Deborah Kacanek, Carly Broadwell, Denise L. Jacobson, Ellen G. Chadwick, Paige L. Williams, Kathleen Powis, Lisa Haddad, and Lynn Yee
Group think? Questioning the individual global health expert, Sapna Desai and Sabina Rashid
Guidance document on the use of the Confidante tool to track new or recent cases of female genital mutilation, Francis Obare Onyango, Dennis Matanda, and Chi-Chi Undie
Halftime for SDGs: Maternal and Newborn Health—Best Investment Paper, Nyovani Madise, Arindam Nandi, Brad Wong, and Saleema Razvi
Harnessing the power of behavioral science: An implementation pilot to improve the quality of maternity care in rural Madagascar, Jana Smith, Marie Sandra Lennon, Madeline Kau, Anja Noeliarivelo Ranjalahy, Liliane Ingabire, Charlotte E. Warren, and Sara V. Flanagan
Herpes simplex virus type 2 prevalence and association with inflammatory cytokines among sexual and gender minorities living with and without HIV-1 from Lagos, Nigeria, Meropi Aravantinou, Marlena Gehret Plagianos, Afoke Kokogho, Sylvia Adebajo, Rebecca G. Nowak, Elizabeth Shoyemi, Charles Ekeh, Kara Lombardi, Sheila Peel, Stefan Baral, Trevor A. Crowell, Nina Derby, Natalia Teleshova, and Elena Martinelli
How to measure provider behavior change impact, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Hysterectomy and women’s health in India: Evidence from a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of older women, Sapna Desai, Roopal Jyoti Singh, Dipti Govil, Devaki Nambiar, Ankita Shukla, Hemali Heidi Sinha, Rajani Ved, Neerja Bhatla, and Gita D. Mishra
Improving measures of access to legal abortion: A validation study triangulating multiple data sources to assess a global indicator, Caitlin R. Williams, Paula Vázquez, Carolina Nigri, Richard M. Adanu, Delia Bandoh, Mabel Berrueta, Suchandrima Chakraborty, Jewel Gausman, Ernest Kenu, Nizamuddin Khan, Ana Langer, Magdalene Odikro, Sowmya Ramesh, Niranjan Saggurti, Veronica Pingray, and R. Rima Jolivet
Improving provider and client communication around family planning in Togo: Results from a cross-sectional survey, Nicole M. Bellows, Leanne Dougherty, Dela Nai, Sethson Kassegne, Robert-Hugues Yaovi Nagbe, Lorimpo Babogou, Kossi Mawuko Guede, and Martha Silva
Infections averted by a comprehensive HIV prevention intervention and its cost-effectiveness: A prospective cohort study of persons who inject drugs in Delhi, India, Lopamudra Ray Saraswati, Aparajita Dasgupta, Indrani Gupta, Julie Pulerwitz, and Avina Sarna
Influence of hormonal contraceptive use and HIV on cervicovaginal cytokines and microbiota in Malawi, Lisa Haddad, Jennifer H. Tang, Nicole L. Davis, Athena P. Kourtis, Lameck Chinula, Albans Msika, Gerald Tegha, Mina C. Hosseinipour, Julie A.E. Nelson, Marcia M. Hobbs, Pawel Gajer, Jacques Ravel, and Kristina De Paris
Institutionalizing the management of sick young infants: Kenya’s experience in revising national guidelines on integrated management of newborn and childhood illnesses, Wilson Liambila, Fred Were, Timothy Abuya, George Odwe, Alice Natecho, Samuel Mungai, Peter Mwaura, David Githanga, Joe Mbuthia, Doris Kinuthia, Allan Govoga, Charlotte E. Warren, Kezia K’oduol, and Jesse Gitaka
Investing in the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in Pakistan, Huma Iqbal
Investing in the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in Pakistan [in Urdu], Huma Iqbal
Leave no one behind: Integrated sexual and reproductive, mental health and psychosocial programming for not in employment, education or training (NEET) adolescents and youth in sub-Saharan Africa, Manasi Kumar, Joan Mutahi, and Beth Kangwana
Les effets du changement climatique sur la santé : expériences vécues par des jeunes du Bangladesh, du Guatemala et du Nigeria, Population Council and Women Deliver
Lessons from a behavior change intervention to improve provider-parent partnerships and care for hospitalized newborns and young children in Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga, Chantalle Okondo, Felicitas M. Okwako, Caroline W. Mwangi, and Timothy Abuya
Leveraging responsive feedback to redesign a demand generation strategy: Experience from the IntegratE Project in Lagos State, Nigeria, Emeka Okafor, Bolaji Gbenuade Oladejo, Michael Alagbile, Sikiru Baruwa, David O. Ayinde, Jennifer Anyanti, and Toyin O. Akomolafe
Linking Research to Action for Children in Humanitarian Contexts: Synopsis of the 2022 Uganda Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) Findings and Data-to-Action Workshop, Chi-Chi Undie, Stella Muthuri, George Odwe, Peter Kisaakye, Stephen Kizito, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Gloria Seruwagi, Begona Fernandez, Darlson Kusasira, Charles Bafaki, Lydia Wasula, Katie Ogwang, and Francis Obare
Longitudinal examination of which married young women use contraception to delay a first pregnancy in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India, Ilene Speizer, A.J. Francis Zavier, Lisa M. Calhoun, Gwyn Hainsworth, and David K. Guilkey
Measuring adequacy of the midwifery workforce using standards of competency and scope of work: Exploring the density and distribution of midwives in three low- and middle-income countries using cross-sectional and geospatial data, Jewel Gausman, Sowmya Ramesh, Richard M. Adanu, Delia Bandoh, Jeff Blossom, Suchandrima Chakraborty, Ernest Kenu, Nizamuddin Khan, Ana Langer, Magdalene Odikro, Niranjan Saggurti, and R. Rima Jolivet
Measuring implementation outcomes in the context of scaling up possible serious bacterial infection guidelines: Implications for measurement and programs, Timothy Abuya, George Odwe, Charity Ndwiga, Chantalle Okondo, Wilson Liambila, Samuel Mungai, Peter Mwaura, Kezia K’Oduol, Alice Natecho, Jesse Gitaka, and Charlotte E. Warren
Measuring Provider Behavior Change, Breakthrough RESEARCH
Menstruation and adolescent girls' daily lives in rural Upper Egypt, Salma Abou Hussein and Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Menstruation and adolescent girls' daily lives in rural Upper Egypt [Arabic], Salma Abou Hussein and Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Methods and measures to assess health care provider behavior and behavioral determinants in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health: A rapid review, Leanne Dougherty, Sanyukta Mathur, Xaher Gul, Kathryn Spielman, Vandana Tripathi, Christina Wakefield, and Martha Silva
Modeling pathways to describe how maternal health care providers’ mental health influences the provision of respectful maternity care in Malawi, Brady Zieman, Charlotte E. Warren, Felistas Chiundira, Edina Mandala, Fannie Kachale, Christina Heather Mchoma, Alexander Mboma, Martha Kamanga, and Abigail Kazembe
Neglected gaps in improving the health, wellbeing, and care for sexual and gender minority young people living in low- and lower-middle- income countries: A scoping review, Cara Frances, Camille Garnsey, and Jessica DeMulder
New Antenatal Model in Africa and India (NAMAI) study: Implementation research to improve antenatal care using WHO recommendations, NAMAI Research Group, Michael Mbizvo, Nachela Chelwa, Chifundo Phiri, Kondwani Kasonda, and Natasha Okpara
New approaches for developing biomarkers of hormonal contraceptive use, Rakhee Sachdeva, Narender Kumar, Vivian Brache, Barbara Friedland, Marlena Gehret Plagianos, Shimin Zhang, Larisa Kizima, Leila Cochon, Ana Sofía Tejada Tabar, Ann K. Blanc, and Ruth Merkatz
Participant experiences with a multipurpose vaginal ring for HIV and pregnancy prevention during a Phase 1 clinical trial: Learning from users to improve acceptability, Mary Kate Shapley-Quinn, Mei Song, Beatrice A. Chen, Brid Devlin, Ellen Luecke, Jill Brown, Diana Blithe, Sharon Achilles, and Ariane van der Straten
Patent: Combination therapy intravaginal rings, Brid Devlin, Jonathon Holt, Andrew Brimer, Jeremy Nuttall, Karl Malcolm, Susan Fetherston, and Peter Boyd
Policymakers' and healthcare providers' perspectives on the introduction of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for key populations in Ghana, Henry Nagai, Edward Adiibokah, Henry Tagoe, Waimar Tun, Nanlesta Pilgrim, Augustine Ankomah, Yussif Ahmed Abdul Rahman, Stephen Ayisi Addo, Stephen Kyeremeh Atuahene, Emmanuel Essandoh, Sean Maher, and Mark Kowalski
Practice and development of male contraception: European Academy of Andrology and American Society of Andrology guidelines, Christina Wang, M. Cristina Meriggiola, John K. Amory, Christopher L.R. Barratt, Hermann M. Behre, William J. Bremner, Alberto Ferlin, Stanton Honig, Zsolt Kopa, Kirk C. Lo, Eberhard Nieschlag, Stephanie T. Page, Jay Sandlow, Régine Sitruk-Ware, Ronald S. Swerdloff, Frederick C.W. Wu, and Dimitrios G. Goulis
Prevention and screening for cardiometabolic disease following hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in low-resource settings: A systematic review and Delphi study, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Kwame Adu-Bonsaffoh, Natasha Housseine, Roberta Lamptey, Arie Franx, Diederick E. Grobbee, Charlotte E. Warren, and Joyce L. Browne
“Project YES! has…given me a task to reach undetectable”: Qualitative findings from a peer mentoring program for youth living with HIV in Zambia, Katherine G. Merrill, Christiana Frimpong, Virginia M. Burke, Elizabeth A. Abrams, Sam Miti, Jonathan K. Mwansa, and Julie Denison