Close
This month we speak to Dr Stephen Roberts to find out how his research on global health security is improving the health of the public.
What is your role and what does it involve?
I am a Lecturer in Global Health at 果冻影院鈥檚 Institute for Global Health (IGH). I teach across听several听MSc modules which examine and critique concepts and understandings of global health and advance the application of qualitative research methods in global health research. I am also the Co-Director of the MSc in Global Health and Development programme at IGH which involves听many听different things, but one of the best is听别苍驳补驳颈苍驳,听supporting,听and working with our current MSc candidates, as well as communicating and welcoming future students to our incredibly diverse and expanding programme.听
In addition to my roles as lecturer and programme co-director, I am also a Visiting Fellow in Global Health Policy at the LSE Health Research Centre, and an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Global Health Policy at the University of Sussex.听These roles are highly collaborative and aim to听further develop research partnerships and facilitate new pathways in global health research across some of the leading global health research hubs at UK universities.听听听听
How are you improving the health of the public?听
This is such an interesting and important question and one I am constantly thinking about when producing research.听I think one of the most important ways I do this is by highlighting and emphasising that听global health听is local health,听and this applies equally as much to high-income countries as it does to听low- and middle-income听settings, where people often think global health is 鈥榙one鈥�.
I have done this, for example, in my ongoing research on听digital contact-tracing, Big Data-driven disease surveillance听and in听digitised responses to Covid-19听which builds on and extends a body of research I have been听working on for the last听5-7 years.听In this work,听I have shown how听the UK鈥檚 digitised response to Covid-19 has ultimately failed听to deliver on expectations. This is not only because听it was presented as a silver bullet, with little evidence,听to a complex, and multifaceted national emergency, but also because of the poor governance听decisions, lack of public consultation and engagement,听and an under-investment in proven听public health measures听which have become hallmarks of the pandemic response in the UK. As my colleague Shoshana听Zuboff听and I听once jointly stated during a panel discussion on digital responses to Covid-19: 鈥�You can鈥檛 Big Data your way out of a pandemic.鈥�
In addition to my work on听the digitisation of public health emergencies and the politics of pandemics, I am also always preoccupied with听ongoing questions of听increasing听inclusivity听and听engagement听in global health research, seen particularly in the way surveillance is practiced and understood听as a public health function.听Along with some outstanding colleagues, I听am听now also involved in a听project听entitled 鈥楥entering Lived and Living Experiences of HIV surveillance鈥�. The project considers听and听explores听how community engagement, lived experiences听and听networks can be leveraged and enabled to听facilitate听positive听dialogue and听community-controlled听surveillance of听HIV/AIDS and other听communicable diseases (including Covid-19)听while also countering stigma, criminalisation,听and discrimination.听
What do you find most interesting or enjoyable about your work?听
I听think I can answer this from two fronts respectively. In terms of my work in research and global health, it is an absolute privilege to be able to plug-in to, engage, and meet听such impressive and inspiring researchers and colleagues at 果冻影院, across the UK听universities听network听and around the world.听My research sits at the interface of听a lot of disciplines (anthropology,听global health,听international relations, security studies,听sociology)听which means I am constantly engaging and collaborating with听global health scholars and researchers in听dynamic and interdisciplinary forums.
Regarding听my role as a lecturer, educator, and teacher in global health, I am always听so consistently impressed by the bright听and creative听minds of our students at IGH and on the MSc in Global Health and Development.听I learn so much from so many of them, and听their drive, ambition, and interest in making global health better and more inclusive听always听continues to听inspire me.听
How have cross-disciplinary collaborations shaped your research?听
Rather than saying cross-disciplinary collaborations have shaped my research, I would say rather that these collaborations have听in many ways defined my research. In some ways, I would define myself as a chameleon in the social sciences and in global health research. I am a qualitative social scientist听with a background in international relations听and security studies, but my interests in data politics, digitisation and technological interventions听in global health mean that听I constantly need to engage with, speak to, and meet new researchers across disciplines. I work with researchers from computer science and IT,听science and technology studies (STS) and Big Data studies to ask questions and get answers to听the issues that I am working on and thinking about.听听
The ongoing digitisation of听global health is occurring at an unprecedented听pace,听and this has been听only听accelerated听by Covid-19. This also means that we as global health researchers need to be working collaboratively and across disciplines听to track and address the implications for equity, security, and inclusivity听not only in Covid-19 contexts, but in responses to future public health emergencies.听听
What advice would you offer to others interested in developing cross-disciplinary research?
An e-mail or coffee goes such a long way.听If you are interested in someone鈥檚 research, or how it could facilitate a compelling research partnership, always reach out and express interest, and invite your colleague for a coffee (whether IRL or via Zoom these days).听It is such a simple act, but for me has always made the difference and advanced my research considerably, and you get to meet such creative,听engaged,听and inspiring people along the way!听听
If you could make one change in the world today, what would it be?听
A halt to听monetization听in the UK, but also in bigger picture thinking across the world.听This听trend听to uncritically view everything through the lens of听profit enhancement听and view听all听types听of听interactions as a financial exchange听across all areas of our lives including in public services and in education.听My colleague and good friend Professor Barbara听Prainsack听has听spoken about this in the past with such听clarity and听articulation,听and听as she has highlighted,听societies that tend to flourish are not societies that听have uncritically pursued these trends of monetization of public life.听听听