Dr. Alice Street is a leading researcher at the University of Edinburgh, renowned for her expertise in medical anthropology, global health, and the intricate relationships between technology, society, and healthcare systems. As a content creator for streetsounds.net, we delve into the significant contributions of Alice Street to the field, highlighting her research interests, key projects, and extensive publications.
Dr. Street’s academic journey is marked by excellence, holding a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge (2008). Her dedication to research is further evidenced by prestigious fellowships, including an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Nuffield New Career Development Fellowship at the University of Sussex. Since 2013, she has been a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, solidifying her position as a prominent figure in her field. Her work significantly contributes to the understanding of global health interventions, medical institutions, and medical innovation, making her a key voice in contemporary anthropological research.
Exploring Key Research Themes with Alice Street
Alice Street’s research spans a diverse range of interconnected themes, reflecting her holistic approach to global health challenges. These themes include:
- Energy, Environment and Sustainability: Addressing the critical intersection of environmental concerns and sustainable healthcare practices.
- Global Health Policy: Analyzing and shaping policies that govern health initiatives worldwide.
- Health & Well-being: Investigating the multifaceted dimensions of health and well-being across different populations.
- Health Inequalities, Disability and Older People: Focusing on vulnerable populations and advocating for equitable healthcare access.
- Historical Approaches to Science, Technology and Medicine: Providing historical context to contemporary medical and technological advancements.
- Innovation in Life Sciences (Agriculture, Food and Health): Exploring innovations that bridge agriculture, food security, and health outcomes.
- Science, Technology and Innovation: Examining the broader societal impacts of scientific and technological innovation in healthcare.
- Social Studies of Biology and Medicine: Analyzing the social and cultural dimensions of biological and medical sciences.
- Studies of the Life Sciences: Offering comprehensive insights into the life sciences through a social science lens.
These interconnected themes demonstrate the breadth and depth of Alice Street’s commitment to understanding and addressing complex global health issues from various angles. Her work consistently emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and a nuanced understanding of socio-cultural contexts in healthcare.
Deep Dive into Alice Street’s Research Interests and Projects
At the heart of Alice Street’s research lies a profound interest in the anthropology of biomedicine, hospital ethnography, global health innovation, and the anthropology of the state. Her extensive fieldwork experience in Melanesia, South Asia, and West Africa enriches her perspectives and provides a global understanding of healthcare challenges.
DiaDev Project: Investigating Diagnostic Devices in Global Health
Dr. Street is the Principal Investigator of the groundbreaking DiaDev project, a six-year research program funded by the European Research Council. DiaDev, short for “Investigating the Design and Use of Diagnostic Devices in Global Health,” explores the transformative role of diagnostic devices in shaping global health partnerships and national health systems, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
This innovative project utilizes social anthropology methodologies to investigate the social, cultural, and technical processes involved in the development, deployment, and utilization of diagnostic devices in resource-constrained environments. The ultimate aim of DiaDev is to enhance the understanding of the intricate relationships between technological innovation and health systems strengthening, thereby informing and guiding global health policy for more effective and equitable healthcare solutions worldwide.
Healthcare Sustainability: Addressing the Material Politics of Waste
A significant aspect of Alice Street’s current research delves into the material politics of healthcare waste. She critically examines the linear economy of healthcare, heavily reliant on single-use plastic products, and its environmental and social impacts. Her research explores the historical evolution of this system and seeks sustainable solutions.
Dr. Street collaborates with biomedical engineers, bridging social science and engineering knowledge to foster sustainable and equitable global health innovation systems. This interdisciplinary approach is crucial in developing environmentally responsible healthcare practices and reducing the ecological footprint of global health initiatives.
Hospitals in Resource-Limited Settings: Ethnographic Insights
Dr. Street’s research on hospitals in resource-limited settings offers profound insights into how individuals interact with biomedical technologies in precarious and uncertain conditions. Her acclaimed book, Biomedicine in an Unstable Place: Infrastructure and Personhood in a Papua New Guinea Hospital, published by Duke University Press, is a seminal work in this area.
This monograph provides a detailed ethnographic account of hospital life in Papua New Guinea, exploring the complex interplay of infrastructure, technology, and personhood within a resource-constrained healthcare environment. It highlights the human experiences and adaptations within challenging medical systems.
Global Health in Fragile States and Humanitarian Goods
Further expanding her research scope, Alice Street investigates global health governance in regions with state fragility. She analyzes the diffusion of managerial technologies in areas with limited state presence, examining the increasing reliance on managerial knowledge in global health and its implications for state-building in contexts marked by insecurity.
Her work on “Off the Grid” infrastructures and “humanitarian goods” explores the physical infrastructures that sustain health in remote areas beyond centralized public systems. She critically examines solutions like rapid diagnostic kits and fortified foods developed through public-private partnerships, assessing their effectiveness and impact on fragile health systems.
Supervising the Next Generation of Researchers with Alice Street
Dr. Alice Street is keen to supervise students passionate about anthropology of biomedicine, hospital ethnography, global health innovation, and anthropology of the state. Her diverse research interests and extensive fieldwork experience make her an ideal mentor for students seeking to engage with critical issues in global health and medical anthropology.
Prospective students interested in being supervised by Alice Street are encouraged to explore the University of Edinburgh’s resources for more information on research opportunities and postgraduate programs.
Publicly Available Lectures by Alice Street
Alice Street’s insights are accessible to a wider audience through her publicly available lectures, offering valuable perspectives on her research areas:
- Lab on a Chip – Engineering Sustainable Futures: https://youtu.be/J377-TPD6nQ?si=p7AUX-lIc7ltg8vZ
- Rethinking Infrastructure for Global Health: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HehA7XmUzHM
- The Nutraceutical Self: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuhOZO9yfk&feature=youtu.be
- Technologies Designed for Sparse Environments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OkDjnxwcBE
- Mobile Laboratories: Integrating Diagnostics with Health Infrastructure: https://youtu.be/g6mO50kzHyU
These lectures provide a rich understanding of Alice Street’s research and offer valuable resources for students, researchers, and anyone interested in global health and medical anthropology.
Selected Recent Publications by Alice Street
Dr. Street’s prolific research output is reflected in her extensive list of publications. Here are some selected recent publications showcasing her diverse contributions:
- 2023 ‘Bring me a test and I will raise the world: Toward an anthropology of the possible in global health’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
- 2023 ‘The ready to hand test: diagnostic availability and usability in Sierra Leone’ PLOS Global Public Health
- 2022 ‘Human preparedness: Relational infrastructures and medical countermeasures in Sierra Leone’. Global Public Health
- 2022 The hidden burden of medical testing: Public view and experiences of Covid-19 testing as a social and ethical process, BMC Public Health
- 2022 To Fail at Scale!: Minimalism and Maximalism in Humanitarian Entrepreneurship, Social Anthropology
- 2022 Diagnostic Waste, Whose Responsibility? Globalization and Health
- 2022 Engineering a sustainable future for point-of-care diagnostic and single-use microfluidic devices, Lab on a Chip
- 2022 Global Health, Accelerated: Rapid diagnostics and the fragile solidarities of ‘emergency R&D’.” Economy and Society
- 2021 Patient Pathways and Diagnostic Value in Sierra Leone. Medicine Anthropology Theory
- 2021 Acceptability and perceived utility of different diagnostic tests and sample types for trachoma surveillance in the Bijagos Islands, Guinea Bissau.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- 2021 Responsibility, repair and care in Sierra Leone’s health system. Social Science and Medicine
- 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Related to COVID-19 Testing: A Rapid Scoping Review. Diagnostics
- 2020 Building diagnostic systems in Sierra Leone: The role of point-of-care devices in laboratory strengthening. African Journal of Laboratory Medicine
- 2019 A cross-sectional survey of practices and knowledge among antibiotic retailers in Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of global health
- 2019 Health, Institutions and Governance in Melanesia. In The Melanesian World.
- 2018 Ghostly Ethics. Medical Anthropology
- 2017 Deep diagnostics. Limn, 9. Little Development Devices/Humanitarian Goods
- 2017 Preface: Little development devices/Humanitarian goods. Limn, 9.
- 2016 The hospital and the hospital: Infrastructure, human tissue, labour and the scientific production of relational value, Social Studies of Science
- 2016 Making people care. The Lancet
This selection represents just a fraction of Dr. Street’s extensive scholarly work, highlighting her consistent contribution to academic discourse and policy-relevant research in global health.
Connect with Alice Street for Further Information
For more in-depth information about Alice Street’s work and research, please visit her profile on Academia.
To learn more about related academic programs, explore the MSc in Medical Anthropology page at the University of Edinburgh.
Alice Street’s work remains crucial in understanding the complexities of global health, medical anthropology, and the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare systems worldwide. Her research provides invaluable insights for academics, policymakers, and anyone interested in making a positive impact on global health.
