Butaro: Ethnography of a Teaching Hospital in the Making
This project explores the evolution of Butaro District Hospital as a lens into the broader ambitions and tensions of global health. Drawing on long-term ethnographic engagement, it examines how clinicians, students, patients, and international partners together shape a new institution that is at once local and transnational, rooted in Rwanda’s post-genocide reconstruction yet entangled with global flows of expertise, funding, and ideals of health equity. By tracing everyday practices, aspirations, and frictions in the making of this teaching hospital, the study sheds light on how infrastructures of care, education, and hope are built in contexts marked by both scarcity and extraordinary innovation.
Collaborative and Applied Research for Health Equity in Rwanda
I work closely with colleagues in medicine, public health, and the social sciences on applied research that addresses pressing health challenges in Rwanda. Together, we investigate issues such as snakebite management, palliative care, cancer stigma, medical education, and the social dimensions of health care delivery. This collaborative and interdisciplinary approach ensures that our findings are grounded in lived realities and translated into practical solutions that strengthen health systems and promote health equity in Rwanda and beyond. I also collaborate with Daniel Lieberman and his team at Harvard on studying the physical activity transition in Rwanda, examining how shifting lifestyles and environments shape ways of being active, spending energy, and maintaining health. This work links anthropology, evolutionary biology, and global health to better understand how development affects long-term health and well-being.
Advancing Health Equity Through Innovation in Medical Education
At the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, our work examines how new approaches to teaching medicine can better prepare doctors and health professionals to address the root causes of illness and inequality. By bringing social medicine, community engagement, liberal arts pedagogy, international partnerships, and interdisciplinary learning into medical training, this research shows how higher education can become a powerful tool for advancing health equity in underserved communities.