Jennifer E. Johnson

Jennifer E. Johnson is an Associate Professor of History at Brown University, specializing in 20th-century North African history, decolonization, and the intersection of public health with state-building. She holds a BA in History from Brown University (2004) and a PhD in History from Princeton University (2010). Prior to Brown, she taught at the City College of New York and Lehman College.

Her research focuses on nationalism, medicine, and international organizations. Her first book, *The Battle for Algeria: Sovereignty, Health Care, and Humanitarianism* (2016), reinterprets the Algerian War (1954–1962) by analyzing how health care and humanitarian efforts underpinned nationalist sovereignty claims. Her current project explores postcolonial North African state-building through family planning and nutrition programs, examining how newly independent regimes collaborated with global health initiatives to expand national health services.

Johnson’s research areas include decolonization, gender, and international organizations, with a particular emphasis on Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Her work bridges historical analysis of science, technology, environment, and medicine in African contexts.