Professor Andrea Whittaker

EXPERTISE

  • Medical Anthropology
  • Global medical trade and mobility
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Social isolation among HIV positive people

Andrea’s research spans the disciplines of anthropology, international public health, Asian studies and gender studies. Her current research projects include the study of global medical trade and mobility, oocyte mobilities in Southern Africa; reproductive travel and biotechnologies in the Asia Pacific, including issues of gender, religion, bioethics and global regulation of the trade, antimicrobial resistance, and social isolation among HIV positive people in Queensland. Andrea is leading an empirical study into the social burden of AMR in Australia by chronicling the lived experience of AMR survivors and their carers in Australia. Professor Andrea was also a Chief Investigator on the ARC Discovery Project, Antimicrobial Resistance: Science, Communications and Public Engagements (AMR-scapes), led by Mark Davis. AMR-scapes research focused on public engagements with advice regarding the rational and reduced use of antibiotics. Beyond Australia, Professor Andrea is also involved in social science research on AMR in Malaysia with colleagues from Monash Malaysia and SEACO.

Professor Andrea Whittaker is Convenor of Anthropology in the School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, and Director of the Social and Political Science Higher Degree by Research Program. Professor Andrea received the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision (2022). She has achieved international standing in the field of medical anthropology and is a former ARC Future Fellow and Co-Leader of the Health and Biofutures Focus Program at Monash University. Her current research projects include the study of antimicrobial resistance in international health, global medical trade and mobility, oocyte mobilities in Southern Africa; reproductive travel and biotechnologies in the Asia Pacific, including issues of gender, religion, bioethics and global regulation of the trade, and social isolation among HIV positive people in Queensland.

AMR FOCUS

  • Examining news, social, and health media communications about antibiotics and AMR.
  • Understanding individual experiences of infection, immunity, antibiotics and AMR.
  • Exploring the enablers and barriers for the safe use of antibiotics in human and companion animal health.
  • Investigating the science and policy of One Health as applied to AMR.

IMPACT

  • Informing policy, communications and education about antibiotics and AMR for diverse communities.