Medical anthropology, anthropology of infectious diseases and biomedicine

Introduction.

 

I am an anthropologist of health, medicine, and the environment, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic University. I have a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master’s from The University of Chicago. I study antimicrobial resistance and cultural practices surrounding infectious disease threats in the United States, focusing on the social and cultural dynamics.

I worked in the American Midwest for my Ph.D. fieldwork, conducted from July 2017 – December 2018. Utilizing research methods like participant observation and semi-structured interviewing, I observed hospital-based specialists communicate and make decisions regarding antibiotic use. My most recent research focuses on regional networks of epidemiologists and frontline medical providers during times of ecological disruption.

Teaching.

 

At Florida Atlantic University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Case Western Reserve University, I have taught a range of courses composed of a variety of student groups. I have taught courses in medical anthropology, global health, and the anthropology of infectious disease.

Courses taught:

  • The Anthropology of Infectious Disease (Spring 2020, Fall 2020)

  • Epidemics: Culture, Science, and Policy (Spring 2023)

  • Anthropology and Global Health (Spring 2021, Spring 2022)

  • Research Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology (Fall 2022, Spring 2024)

  • Introduction to Medical Anthropology (Fall 2021)

Research.

  • Antimicrobial resistance

    The crisis of antimicrobial resistance has accelerated in recent years. Social science inquiry into the forms and characteristics of resistance is needed.

  • Antibiotic prescribing cultures

    Antibiotics enter our bodies in a multitude of ways. Yet, medical professionals are still connected to antibiotic consumption patterns through prescriptions and recommendations. An anthropology of antibiotic prescribing cultures highlights the ongoing connectedness of biomedicine and antibiotic use.

  • Structures of medical care

    The spread of antimicrobial resistance and regional networks of medical care are intrinsically related. As patients move within complex systems of care, hitchhiker microbes tag along.