With 25 years of working and living in Tanzania I have conducted anthropological studies to explore gender and power with a focus on sexuality and violence. My anthropological research on disease epidemics in Tanzania and Sierra Leone focuses local experiences of biomedical research and epidemic response. In this field, I also provide critical perspectives on biomedical practices.
Affiliations
Department of Global Health and Development
Faculty of Public Health and Policy
Centres
Centre for Evaluation
Centre for Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health
Vaccine Centre
Teaching
I teach on the Medical Anthropology of Public Health module and Conflict and Health. I am also co-organiser of the Pandemic Preparedness Short Course which runs in February - March.
Research
In Mwanza I was co-investigator and anthropological lead on the Maisha Trial (strive.lshtm.ac.uk/projects/maisha-microfinance-and-gender-training-reduce-violence-against-women). I have also conducted research on sexual violence against children in Zanzibar with Karen Devries and Louise Knight, which has also explored constructions of childhood amongst the Swahili and IPV. I have also conducted research on cash transfers and IPV in Mali.
My research on anthropology of epidemics has included research on sexuality and HIV as part of a microbicides trial and more recently, research on young women's experiences of PrEP, both conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania. A more recent focus of my research has been on emergent epidemics, including Ebola. I am the lead anthropologist on the EBOVAC-Salone Trial (www.ebovac.org) and work package lead on the ALERRT consortium, focusing on the social science of community engagement (www.alerrt.global). I am also senior anthropologist with the UK-PHRST where the social science team conducts social science research, capacity building and deployment (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/uk-phrst).
Our research group addressing the Politics and Anthropology of Violence and Epidemics, brings together all our research studies on violence and epidemics (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/pave).
My research on anthropology of epidemics has included research on sexuality and HIV as part of a microbicides trial and more recently, research on young women's experiences of PrEP, both conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania. A more recent focus of my research has been on emergent epidemics, including Ebola. I am the lead anthropologist on the EBOVAC-Salone Trial (www.ebovac.org) and work package lead on the ALERRT consortium, focusing on the social science of community engagement (www.alerrt.global). I am also senior anthropologist with the UK-PHRST where the social science team conducts social science research, capacity building and deployment (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/uk-phrst).
Our research group addressing the Politics and Anthropology of Violence and Epidemics, brings together all our research studies on violence and epidemics (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/pave).
Research Area
Medical anthropology
Gender-based violence
Violence against women and girls
Disease and Health Conditions
HIV/AIDS
Ebola virus
Marburg virus
COVID-19
Country
Tanzania
Sierra Leone
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Uganda
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only)
Selected Publications
Women's informal group participation and intimate partner violence in Mwanza, Tanzania: A longitudinal study.
2024
Social science & medicine (1982)
How do children define violence and maltreatment in childhood? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies from sub-Saharan Africa
2024
