Jean-Francois Trani joined the Brown School from the Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London.

His work lies at the intersection of mental health, disability, vulnerability and poverty with a focus on conducting research that informs policy and service design for individuals living in conflict affected fragile states, and other low-income countries, such as Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Sudan (Darfur). For example,

Dr. Trani's research has contributed to the policy papers of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan regarding disability issues.
 
Dr. Trani's research has been funded by a number of organizations including the UK AID/DFID, European Commission, UN Mine Action Center in Afghanistan, Handicap International, UNICEF, and the World Bank.