N.M.T. (Nadine) Voelkner, Dr

My research is concerned with the Political Ecologies of (Global) Health. That is, I explore the way politics is entangled in the (global) management of health and disease in two intersecting fields. Specifically, 

(1) Global (public) health and the management of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and epidemic emergencies. 

(2) Forced migration (displacement), humanitarian crises, and (public) health.

Theoretically, I develop a politico-ecological and multispecies perspective on the governance of EIDs, displacement and public health. I focus on understanding how human-microbial ecologies are impacted by socio-political dynamics including conflict, displacement, poverty, inequality, but also urbanization and modern lifestyles. These socio-political processes affect the interactions between humans and microbial agents (e.g. viruses, bacteria) in ways which have been demonstrated to increasingly give rise to EIDs as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  To reduce the disease burden of EIDs and AMR, therefore, it becomes important politically to prevent new infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance from emerging in the first place, through a more ecological and sustainable approach to global health.