Dina M. Asfaha

Dina M. Asfaha is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Anthropology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (2023), an MA in Oral History from Columbia University (2017), and a BA in Africana Studies from Barnard College of Columbia University (2016). Her research focuses on medical anthropology, political anthropology, and science and technology studies, particularly examining sovereignty, infrastructure, and clinical practices in Eritrea and the Horn of Africa. She has also taught at the University of Pennsylvania, NYU-Abu Dhabi, and NYU Stern School of Business.

Her doctoral dissertation, Organic Clinicians: Medicine, Sovereignty, and Sustainability in Eritrea, 1961–2022, explores the medical infrastructure developed during Eritrea's liberation struggle against Ethiopia (1961–1991) and its legacy in contemporary healthcare systems. This work critiques colonial legacies and geopolitical dynamics in Africa.

Key research interests include:

• Medicine and statecraft
• Global health politics
• Colonial and postcolonial infrastructures
• Social networks in medical systems

Awards:

• William Fontaine Fellow (supporting her doctoral research)

Teaching & Professional Contributions:

• Course instructor at MIT, UPenn, and NYU campuses
• Active in African studies and STS academic networks

Learn more at dinamasfaha.com.