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Professor Shelley Lees

PhD

Professor
in Anthropology of Public Health

Room
Room 313

LSHTM
15-17 Tavistock Place
London
WC1H 9SH
United Kingdom

Tel.
02079272586

The main focus of my research is exploring gender, violence, and epidemic diseases. My theoretical area focuses on the intersections between feminist anthropology and biopolitics.

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 (MARCH)
Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre

Teaching

I have taught on a number of modules including Primary Health Care, Principles of Social Research, and Health Policy, Process and Power. I am currently part of the teaching group for the Medical Anthropology and Public Health module.

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 recently completed a study 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 soical science team conducts social science research, capacity buidling and deployment (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/uk-phrst).

My colleagues and I have recently formed a research group addressing the Politicis and Anthropology of Violence and Epidemics, which brings together all our research studies on violence and epidemics (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/pave). 

Research Area
Child health
Clinical trials
Maternal health
Risk
Sexual health
Social and structural determinants of health
Vaccines
Viruses
Ethics
Gender
Ethnography
Qualitative methods
Violence
Discipline
Anthropology
Disease and Health Conditions
HIV/AIDS
Sexually transmitted disease
Emerging Infectious Disease
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Sexually transmitted infection
Zoonotic disease
Ebola
Country
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kenya
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Uganda
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only)

Selected Publications

Protection, health seeking, or a laissez-passer: Participants' decision-making in an EVD vaccine trial in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
James M; Kasereka JG; Kasiwa B; Kavunga-Membo H; Kambale K; Grais R; Muyembe-Tamfum J-J; Bausch DG; Watson-Jones D; Lees S
2023
Social science & medicine (1982)
Factors associated with attendance to a participatory gender training programme - A secondary analysis of data from the MAISHA study.
McCulloch F; Abramksy T; Lawi H; Lees S; Mshana G; Kapiga S; Harvey S
2023
Evaluation and program planning
Changing gear: Experiences of how existing qualitative research can adapt to an unfolding health emergency.
Jones T; Enria L; Lees S; Marchant M; Tulloch O
2022
Frontiers in sociology
Human preparedness: Relational infrastructures and medical countermeasures in Sierra Leone.
Lee SJ; Vernooij E; Enria L; Kelly AH; Rogers J; Ansumana R; Bangura MH; Lees S; Street A
2022
Global public health
Family Planning in the Sierra Leone Ebola Outbreak: Women's Proximal and Distal Reasoning.
McKay G; Enria L; Nam SL; Fofanah M; Conteh SG; Lees S
2022
Studies in family planning
The role of cultural safety and ethical space within postcolonial healthcare for Maasai in Tanzania.
Mtuy TB; Mepukori J; Seeley J; Burton MJ; Lees S
2022
BMJ Global Health
Randomized Trial of Vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Disease.
PREVAC Study Team; Kieh M; Richert L; Beavogui AH; Grund B; Leigh B; D'Ortenzio E; Doumbia S; Lhomme E; Sow S
2022
The New England journal of medicine
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