Melissa Parker
Senior Lecturer
Social Anthropology
Brunel University
Uxbridge, UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
Biography
Qualifications
- BA University of Oxford 1982
- DPhil University of Oxford 1989
Personal Biography
I completed a BA Honours Degree in Human Sciences in 1982 and a DPhil in Biological Anthropology in 1989. This involved living in a village in northern Sudan for 18 months, learning Arabic and investigating the social and biological consequences of infection with Schistosoma mansoni on the health of women and children. I went on to develop my interests in global health and international development at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (1990 - 1993) and Imperial College (1993 - 1996); before moving to Brunel University in 1997.
Research
Research Overview
Working as a medical anthropologist, I have undertaken numerous multi-disciplinary and collaborative research projects in African and European settings. A unifying theme is the study of global health and international development. Much of this research builds upon my multi-disciplinary training in Human Sciences.
Research questions have typically emerged from extensive periods of ethnographic fieldwork, and engage with public policy and practice. Topics investigated include HIV/AIDS in the UK, mental health in war zones, health-related quality of life in Kenya, vitamin A and child mortality in Ghana, female circumcision in Sudan, and the control of neglected tropical diseases in Uganda and Tanzania.
Director, Centre for Research in International Medical Anthropology
Current Projects
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Imperial College (under the auspices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
Controlling lymphatic filariasis in northern coastal Tanzania
£12,000
2007 -
Melissa Parker (PI)
Recently Completed Projects
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Imperial College (under the auspices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
Controlling schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths in Uganda
£24,000
2005 - 2010
Melissa Parker (PI)
PhD Supervision
Julie Hastings: Neglected Tropical Diseases in Morogoro, Tanzania; 2007 -
Thea Vidnes: Maternal mortality in Nepal; 2012 -
Claudia Stumpfl: HIV/AIDS and reproductive decision-making among Africans living in London; 2012 -
Teaching
Undergraduate Programmes
Module convenor
- Anthropology and Global Health
- Anthropology of War and Humanitarian Assistance
Module contributor
- Introduction to Social Research Methods
- Dimensions of Ethnography
- Individual and Social Processes
Postgraduate Programmes
Programme convenor
- MSc Medical Anthropology
Module convenor
- Anthropology and Global Health
- Anthropology of War and Humanitarian Assistance
- Ethnographic Research Methods
Administration
- Convenor, MSc Medical Anthropology
- Work Placement tutor for anthropology undergraduates
- REF-impact co-ordinator for anthropology
External Activity
- Chair of the Medical Anthropology Committee of the Royal Anthropological Institute (2009 - )
- Trustee of the Parkes Foundation
- Editorial Board member for the journals Medical Anthropology and the Journal of Biosocial Science
- Committee member of the Biosocial Society (1992 - 1995; 1996 - 1999; 2012 - )
- Council Member of the Royal Anthropological Institute (2000 - 2003 and 2009 - )
- External examiner for the MSc in Medical Anthropology at UCL (2000 - 2004); Oxford (2002 - 2004); SOAS (2008 - 2011) and Durham (2006 - 2011)
- Visiting Senior Research Scientist, Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Nairobi (August 1994 - September 1997)
Publications
Publications
Journal Papers
(2012) Parker, M. and Allen, T., Will mass drug administration eliminate lymphatic filariasis? Evidence from northern coastal Tanzania, Journal of Biosocial Science 1- 29 Download publication
(2012) Parker, M., Allen, T., Pearson, G., Peach, N., Flynn, R. and Rees, N., Border parasites: Schistosomiasis control among Uganda's fisherfolk, Journal of Eastern African Studies 6 (1) : 98- 123 Download publication
(2012) Allen, T. and Parker, M., Will increased funding for neglected tropical diseases really make poverty history?, The Lancet 379 (9821) : 1097- 1098
(2011) Parker, M. and Allen, T., Does mass drug administration for the integrated treatment of neglected tropical diseases really work? Assessing evidence for the control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths in Uganda, Health Research Policy and Systems 9 (3) Download publication
(2011) Allen, T. and Parker, M., The 'other diseases' of the millennium development goals: Rhetoric and reality of free drug distribution to cure the poor's parasites, Third World Quarterly 32 (1) : 91- 117
(2008) Parker, M., Allen, T. and Hastings, J., Resisting control of neglected tropical diseases: Dilemmas in the mass treatment of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths in north-west Uganda, Journal of Biosocial Science 40 (2) : 161- 181 Download publication
(2006) Parker, M., Core groups and the transmission of HIV: Learning from male sex workers, Journal of Biosocial Science 38 (1) : 117- 131 Download publication
(2006) Parker, M. and Harper, I., The anthropology of public health, Journal of Biosocial Science 38 (1) : 1- 5 Download publication
(2000) Parker, M., Book review on Integrated management of childhood illness: A WHO/UNICEF initiative. Supplement no. 1 to volume 75 of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, published in Geneva by the World Health Organization., Journal of Biosocial Science 32 (3) : 431- 432
(2000) Parker, M., Book review on HIV and infant feeding, published by the World Health Organization, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and United Nations Children's Fund, 1998., Journal of Biosocial Science 32 (2) : 286- 287
(1998) Day, S., Ward, H., Ghani, A., Goan, U., Parker, M., Claydon, E., Ison, C., Kinghorn, G. and Weber, J., Sexual histories, partnerships and networks associated with the transmission of gonorrhoea, International Journal of STD and AIDS 9 (11) : 666- 671
(1998) Parker, M., Ward, H. and Day, S., Sexual networks and the transmission of HIV in London, Journal of Biosocial Science 30 (1) : 63- 83 Download publication
(1996) Parker, M., The mental health of war-damaged populations, Institute of Development Studies Bulletin 27 (3) : 77- 85
(1995) Fox-Rushby, J., Mwenesi, H., Parker, M., Amuyunzu, M., Egesah, O., Johnson, K. and Allen, T., Questioning premises: health-related quality of life in Kenya, Quality of Life Research 4 41- 42
(1995) Amuyunzu M., Allen, T., Mwenesi H., Johnson, K., Egesah, O., Parker, M. and Fox-Rushby, J., The resonance of language: health terms in Kenya, Quality of Life Research 4 388-
(1995) Fox-Rushby J. and Parker M., Culture and the measurement of health-related quality of life, Journal of European Applied Psychology 45 (4) : 257- 264
(1995) Parker, M., Re-thinking female circumcision, Africa 65 (4) : 506- 523
(1994) Fox-Rushby, J. and Parker, M., Accounting for culture in the measurement of health related quality of life, Quality of Life Research 3 (1) : 41- 42
(1993) Parker, M., Bilharzia and the Boys: questioning common assumptions, Social Science and Medicine 37 (4) : 481- 492
(1992) Parker, M., Re-assessing disability: the impact of schistosomal infection on daily activities among women in Gezira Province, Sudan, Social Science and Medicine 35 (7) : 877- 890
(Accepted) Parker, M., The impact of schistosomal infection on female activities and productive output in the Gezira, Sudan, Annals of Human Biology 17 (4) : 339- 340
(Accepted) Parker, M., War and the mind, Journal of Biosocial Science 27 (2) : 250- 251
(Accepted) Parker, M., Ward, H. and Day, S., Sexual networks and the transmission of HIV in London, Annals of Human Biology 23 (2) : 183-
(Accepted) Parker, M., Sexual networking, HIV and AIDS in London, Annals of Human Biology 24 (5) : 487-
Book Chapters
(2012) Allen, T. and Parker, M., Conflicts and compromises: experiences of doing anthropology at the interface of public policy. In: Fardon, R., Harris, O., Marchand, THJ., Shore, C., Strong, V., Wilson, R. and Nuttell, M. eds. Sage Handbook of Social Anthropology. London : Sage Publications Limited 184- 195
(2006) Parker, M., Re-thinking female circumcision. In: Weston, BH., Falk, RA., Charlesworth, H. and Strauss, AL. eds. International Law and World Order: A Problem-Oriented Course Book. West Publishing Company
(2005) Fox-Rushby, J., Johnson, K., Mwanza, I., Amuyunzu, M., Allen, T. and Parker, M., Language and Culture: moving between theory and practice in cross-cultural research. In: Lenderking, W. and Revicki, D. eds. Advances in health outcomes, research methods and clinical applications. Netherlands : Kluwer Academic Press 231- 248
(2003) Ellison, G., Parker, M. and Campbell, C., Learning from HIV and AIDS: from multidisciplinary to interdisciplinarity. In: Ellison, G., Parker, M. and Campbell, C. eds. . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press 1- 31
(2003) Parker, M., Anthropological reflections on HIV prevention strategies: the case for targeting London's backrooms. In: Ellison, G., Parker, M. and Campbell, C. eds. Learning from HIV and AIDS. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 178- 209
(2001) Parker, M., Stuck in GUM: life in a clap clinic. In: Gellner, DN. and Hirsch, E. eds. Inside organisations: anthropologists at work. Oxford: Berg 137- 156
(2000) Parker, M. and Wilson, G., Diseases of poverty. In: Allen, T. and Thomas, A. eds. Poverty and Development into the 21st Century. The Open University in association with Oxford University Press 201- 211
(1999) Parker, M., Female circumcision and cultures of sexuality. In: Skelton, T. and Allen, T. eds. Culture and Global change. London : Routledge 201- 211
(1999) Parker, M., HIV transmission in urban environments: London and beyond. In: Schell, L. and Ulijaszel, S. eds. Urbanism and Human Biology in Industriaised Countries. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press 280- 308
(1995) Parker, M. and Fox-Rushby, J., International comparisons in health-related quality of life: acquiescence in academia. In: Shumaker, S.A. and Berzon, R. eds. The international assessment of health related quality of life: theory, translation, measurement and analysis. Oxford : Rapid Communications of Oxford 153- 154
(1995) Parker, M., Living with schistosomes: adaptation, accommodation or severe ill-health?. In: Boyce, A.J. and Reynolds, V. eds. Human populations: diversity and adaptability. Oxford : Oxford University Press 155- 173
(1992) Parker, M., Does schistosomiasis impair the health of women?. In: Wijeyaratne, P., Rathgeber, E.M. and St-Onge, E. eds. Woman and Tropical Diseases. Ottawa : International Development Research Centre 81- 99
