BUA Grand Challenges Exploration Projects „Global Health“
Our goal is to develop a better understanding of the interaction between migration and health, with a particular focus on gender and intersectionality.
Our project aims to understand and address health challenges in migrant and refugee communities through a gender-focused, participatory and integrated approach. With a focus on three main goals – deepening our understanding of migrant health in Germany, promoting global health research and promoting a transdisciplinary research center for migration and health – our exploratory project lays the foundation for sustainable collaboration and infrastructure in the inter- and transdisciplinary research.
Our team consists of academic experts from various disciplines:
- Social Sciences: Our team includes experts from disciplines such as sociology, social work and political science. They provide insights into social dynamics, cultural factors and structural influences that impact the health of migrants.
- Global Health: We have experts in public health, epidemiology and international health. They bring knowledge of the broader global health context, disease prevention and health systems.
- Medicine: Our team includes specialists in gynecology, gynecology-oncology, infectious diseases, nursing sciences and midwifery. Their expertise allows us to address specific health issues and medical care for migrant groups.
- Gender Studies: We have gender studies experts who bring a critical perspective to understanding the intersection between gender, migration and health. They provide insights into gender-specific factors that influence health outcomes.
- Cultural Studies: Our team includes experts in cultural studies who provide valuable perspectives on the cultural dimensions of health, migration, and the impact of cultural practices on health outcomes.
Taken together, these diverse academic backgrounds enable us to address the complex field of health in migration from a comprehensive and interdisciplinary framework to uncover intersectional differences in health outcomes, examine underlying mechanisms, and develop recommendations to address social inequalities in health.
TEAM
Stefanie Theuring is a German Research Associate at the Institute of International Health, Center for Global Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Her specialization lies in Global Health predominantly in Sub-Saharan African settings, where she has been focusing on thematic areas including social determinants of health, reproductive health, maternal healthcare, health systems research, implementation research and HIV prevention. She holds advanced degrees in Health Sciences and International Health, coming from a background in the Social Sciences. She has published extensively in reputable scientific journals, contributing to healthcare improvements in resource-limited settings.
Yasemin Soysal is a research professor of the Global Sociology research program at the WZB and a leading research member of the SCRIPTS Cluster of Excellence. Her research brings global and sociological–institutional perspectives into the investigation of the historical development and current reconfigurations of nation-state and citizenship. She is currently engaged in the theoretical and empirical investigation of the rise of the transnationally standardized script of agentic, meritocratic citizenship and its comparative scope, implementation, and contradictions.
Kerstin Palm holds a Ph.D. in biology and a habilitation in cultural studies and has been working as a Professor of Gender & Science at the Institute of Historical Studies and the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies since 2013. Her central research areas include the history of biology, the philosophy of science from a gender and intersectionality perspective, gender diversity in the health sciences, development of transdisciplinary research perspectives within the life sciences.
Dr. Joachim Seybold is the Deputy Medical Director and Deputy Director of International Affairs at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. With extensive experience in the medical field, he specializes in migration and health, infectious and respiratory diseases, risk prevention, and disaster management. Dr. Seybold has played a crucial role in pandemic preparedness and response as the Head of the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Team. Additionally, he has authored over 80 original publications and is actively involved in SARS-CoV-2 response, testing, and vaccination strategies.
Dr. Nasser is a senior fellow in gynecological oncology currently working at one of the largest cancer centers in Europe. Through her varied experience in both Obstetrics and Gynecology in Germany, the United Kingdom, and in developing countries, she is always at the forefront of innovative changes in the clinical, research, and educational aspects of her field.
Dr. Nasser stands for women’s empowerment in medicine. In her position as executive officer for the Panarabian Research Society for Gynecologic Oncology(PARSGO) and Chair of the Global Health Taskforce for the German Cancer Society(NOGGO) and the Charite University Hospital, she is an advocate for improving women’s healthcare worldwide.
Dr. Nasser stands for women’s empowerment in medicine. In her position as executive officer for the Panarabian Research Society for Gynecologic Oncology(PARSGO) and Chair of the Global Health Taskforce for the German Cancer Society(NOGGO) and the Charite University Hospital, she is an advocate for improving women’s healthcare worldwide.
Alex Müller is a medical doctor and socio-medical researcher at the Institute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health. Before joining the Institute, she worked as Associate Professor at the Gender Health and Justice Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, where she implemented participatory mixed-methods research projects to support evidence-based advocacy to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights in Southern and East Africa. She is interested in how sexual orientation and gender identity act as social determinants of health, and in critically thinking about the implementation of sexual and reproductive rights within health and criminal justice systems.
Mascha Kern is a doctoral student at the Institute of Public Health at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. She holds a degree in Public Health from the Berlin School of Public Health as well as in Social Anthropology from the Universität Hamburg. Her research primarily centers on the social determinants of health, with a focus on sex and gender, and she uses quantitative methodology in her work, with a particular interest in causal inference in social epidemiology.
Bornice Biomndo is a public health scientist at the Institute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health. She has an MScPH in Health and Gender Studies and a Dr. rer. medic from the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. She also holds a BSc in Publishing and Media studies from Moi University Kenya. Her work and research focus has been on health promotion and advocacy, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence, both in Kenya and Berlin. She also works in providing access to healthcare services for African migrants, the homeless, and people who use drugs (PWD) in Berlin.
Muhammad Barghouth is a pediatric dentist by training and holds a master’s degree in International Health from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. He has been working as a research associate at the Institute of Public Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and has a strong interest in refugee health with a special focus on the access of minority groups within refugees to healthcare services from an intersectionality perspective.
Angel Phuti holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. A nurse and midwife by profession, she is employed as a Research Associate at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin- Institute of International Health. With about 12 years, of experience in public and international health-related fields (clinic, research/academic) her work focuses mainly on women’s health in particular cervical cancer screening, sexual health, quality of life outcomes, midwifery, and birth outcomes.
Yagmur Demirpehlivan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sociology at Free University and works as a Student Assistant at the Institute of International Health in Charité. With a strong background in communication, event management, marketing, social media, and project management, she brings a diverse set of skills to her role. She is passionate about exploring the gender-specific factors that influence migrant health and using various audio-visual tools to raise awareness on this important topic.
Zerrin Salikutluk is an Assistant Professor for Migration and Gender at the Department of Social Science at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin since March 2019. She is also the Deputy Head of the Department for “Labor Market, Migration, and Integration” at the Berlin Institute for Integration and Migration Research (BIM). Before this, she worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at BIM and a Postdoctoral fellow at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES). She holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of Mannheim, where she also completed his Master’s in Social Sciences. Her research interests include social stratification, intersectional inequalities in education, labor market, and health, and quantitative methods.
Alessandro is a PhD researcher from the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the European University Institute in Florence. He has previously worked as a consultant in the Directorate for Education and Skills of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). His research is mostly on social stratification, sociology of education, and migrant inequalities in education and health.
Talia Meer is a researcher and educator focused on gender, race, sexuality, health, and justice. A trained sociologist, Talia takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing particularly from queer, critical race, and feminist traditions. Their projects have spanned areas such as access to justice for survivors of sexual violence with disabilities, the experiences of LGBTIQ individuals in healthcare and criminal justice systems, and the development of sex education materials for schoolteachers. Talia has co-written over thirty research outputs in the fields of human rights, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. For the past twelve years, they have supported advocacy efforts on issues like gender-based violence, sexuality education, and the health of sexual and gender minorities, particularly in Southern Africa. Currently, Talia holds a post-doctoral position at Humboldt University and works with the MigraH team on migration and health in Germany, including research on abortion access, healthcare for LGBTQI migrants, and the mental health implications of current politics for migrants in Germany. You can find their publications here: ResearchGate Profile.
