Dr Fiona Samuels
Overseas Development Institute
Research fellow
http://www.odi.org.uk/about/staff/details.asp?id=69&name=fiona-samuels
Research Interests
Fiona Samuels is a Research Fellow in the Social Development Programme in the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a research based think-tank. A social anthropologist, she has over 15 years of experience crossing the fields of development and public health and has worked extensively in Africa, Asia and Latin America, but with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Fiona’s current remit is to develop and increase ODI’s research and consultancy portfolio on issues related to health and HIV/AIDS, including its links with poverty, exclusion, migration and livelihoods. Prior to joining ODI, Fiona was head of research at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance where she managed a number of large-scale, multi-sited and multi-country research projects. Before joining the Alliance, as well as obtaining her Doctorate in social anthropology and lecturing at the University of Sussex, Fiona undertook long, medium and short-term assignments for a range of organisations.
Themes of particular concern to Fiona’s current and recent research and advisory work include: Health and HIV vulnerabilities and coping in fragile/emergency contexts; livelihoods, coping and resilience in relation to health shocks; access to health services for vulnerable groups; the role of community structures, social networks and social capital for addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children and older people; the potential role of social protection strategies for addressing vulnerability and building resilience; and empowerment, stigma and discrimination (often HIV-related) amongst particular groups. Fiona is currently convenor of the Conference Liaison Sub-Committee for the planning for the next HIV Social Science and Humanities conference; she was on the planning committee for the first conference. Fiona has also just finished a 6 month secondment with UNESCO in Paris where she was providing research support for the section working on HIV and AIDS.
Recent Publications
Samuels, F. and M. Drinkwater. 2011. “Twelve years on”: HIV and AIDS and livelihoods in Zambia. NAPA edited volume on “Anthropological Approaches to Confronting HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Samuels, F. and N. Rutenberg. 2011. “Health regains but livelihoods lag”: findings from a study with people on ART in Zambia and Kenya. AIDS care, 23(6), pp. 748-754.
Samuels, F., M. Gavrilovic, C. Harper and M. Niño-Zarazúa. 2011. Food, finance and fuel: the impacts of the triple F crisis in Nigeria, with a particular focus on women and children, ODI Background Note.
Samuels, F. and C. Blake. 2011. HIV sensitive social protection: the case of Nigeria. ODI Project Briefing, No. 61, September 2011.
Samuels, F. and S. Wangle. 2011. Population mobility and HIV and AIDS: review of laws, policies and treaties between Bangladesh, Nepal and India. ODI Background Note.
Herat, J., A. Garner, D. Chetty and F. Samuels. 2011. Positive health, prevention and dignity: Meeting the needs of young learners living with HIV. Exchange on HIV and AIDS, Sexuality and Gender. KIT.
Samuels, F. and S. McPherson. 2010. Meeting the challenge of proving impact in Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 2(4), pp. 468-485.
Samuels, F., F. Perry and R, Geibel. 2010. Collaboration between faith-based communities and humanitarian actors when responding to HIV in emergencies. ODI Project Briefing, No. 41, May 2010.