Overview
A central thread across my career is the belief that meaningful insights emerge when people with different forms of expertise work together. I use ethnography to facilitate understanding across scientific, clinical, policy, and community domains, supporting collaborations that are both analytically rigorous and grounded in real‑world needs. My work spans projects with healthcare institutions, European and international agencies, NGOs, and interdisciplinary academic teams, helping them navigate complexity and co‑produce knowledge that informs practice, innovation, and governance.
Key Themes
1. Bridging Disciplines Through Ethnography
Ethnography enables me to make visible the values, assumptions, and everyday practices that shape how collaborations function. In multi‑disciplinary settings (from hospital wards to international development projects), I focus on how expertise is negotiated, how communication unfolds, and how responsibilities are coordinated. This work is grounded in my long-standing commitment to generating people‑centred insights that support innovation across fields.
2. Supporting Policy & Program Development
Between 2008 and 2014, I ran a one‑woman consulting practice, working with the European Commission, UN agencies, governmental bodies, and international NGOs. Through needs assessments, programme and project evaluations, and facilitation of inter‑governmental dialogues, I helped institutions better understand lived experience and strengthen the design and implementation of policy interventions.
3. Academic–Practice Partnerships
Much of my work sits at the intersection of academic research and real‑world challenges. I collaborate with healthcare professionals, bioscientists, development practitioners, policymakers, and civil society actors to co‑design research that is relevant, timely, and actionable. These partnerships focus on issues such as migration governance, care quality, interdisciplinary teamwork, and equity in global health research.
4. Facilitating Cross‑Sector Conversations
Whether supporting interdisciplinary hospital teams or participating in multi‑stakeholder dialogues on migration and development, I bring experience in helping groups with different priorities and vocabularies find common ground. My research consistently examines how values, power relations, and knowledge hierarchies shape collaboration, and how they can be navigated more equitably.
Ethnography enables me to make visible the values, assumptions, and everyday practices that shape how collaborations function. In multi‑disciplinary settings (from hospital wards to international development projects), I focus on how expertise is negotiated, how communication unfolds, and how responsibilities are coordinated. This work is grounded in my long-standing commitment to generating people‑centred insights that support innovation across fields.
2. Supporting Policy & Program Development
Between 2008 and 2014, I ran a one‑woman consulting practice, working with the European Commission, UN agencies, governmental bodies, and international NGOs. Through needs assessments, programme and project evaluations, and facilitation of inter‑governmental dialogues, I helped institutions better understand lived experience and strengthen the design and implementation of policy interventions.
3. Academic–Practice Partnerships
Much of my work sits at the intersection of academic research and real‑world challenges. I collaborate with healthcare professionals, bioscientists, development practitioners, policymakers, and civil society actors to co‑design research that is relevant, timely, and actionable. These partnerships focus on issues such as migration governance, care quality, interdisciplinary teamwork, and equity in global health research.
4. Facilitating Cross‑Sector Conversations
Whether supporting interdisciplinary hospital teams or participating in multi‑stakeholder dialogues on migration and development, I bring experience in helping groups with different priorities and vocabularies find common ground. My research consistently examines how values, power relations, and knowledge hierarchies shape collaboration, and how they can be navigated more equitably.
Selected Examples
Inter- and Trans-disciplinary Research Collaborations
Across my career, I have worked within and across multiple fields, including:
Across my career, I have worked within and across multiple fields, including:
- Anthropology
- Healthcare and patient‑centred care
- Humanitarian practice
- Migration governance and development policy
- Sustainability and youth engagement (e.g., the Active8‑Planet initiative)
Consultancy & Advisory Work (2008-2014)
As an independent consultant, I carried out:
As an independent consultant, I carried out:
- Needs assessments
- Project and program evaluations
- Policy analysis
- Facilitation of inter‑governmental discussions
Collaborations with Public & Private Sector Partners
My projects have involved partnerships with:
My projects have involved partnerships with:
- European Commission departments
- UN agencies
- Government institutions
- International NGOs
- Healthcare organisations in the Netherlands
Why This Work Matters
Cross‑sector collaboration is essential for addressing contemporary challenges, whether designing healthcare innovations, improving migration policy, or promoting global health equity. By combining ethnographic insight with interdisciplinary partnerships, my work helps institutions reveal hidden dynamics, rethink assumptions, and co‑create solutions that reflect the realities of the people they serve.
Photo: Giulia Sinatti, "What is Your Point of View?" by Olafur Eliasson (Voorlinden Museum) 2026