Research

​

My research focuses on health equity, innovation, and the politics of knowledge production in medicine. I approach these topics through an investigation of health policies and health social movements that seek to restructure the political economy of biomedicine. Taking pharmaceuticals as an entry point, my dissertation investigated collective action to establish new organizational models for biomedical research—through citizen science and open science—to address drug affordability, access, and equity. Funded by the Center for Engaged Scholarship, this research shows how these movements potentially reinforce inequities through strategies that further the capitalization of health. As a Fellow at Johns Hopkins, I am continuing my program of research to explore diabetes (type 1 and 2) advocacy and health behaviors to understand the evolving politics of patient activism, how intersections of race and class shape these politics, and the implications for addressing and exacerbating health disparities. I am also building a database of federal, state, and local policies for diabetes treatment access. My research employs sociological theory and methods to contribute to three mutually intertwined issues in public health and bioethics: health equity; justice, especially for the equitable distribution of resources and access; and governance of biomedical innovations, particularly at the nexus of public funding, open science, and markets.

​