Maria Maixenchs

Maria Maixenchs is a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), affiliated with the University of Barcelona, with over 20 years of field experience in global health emergencies and research. She holds a PhD in International Health from the University of Barcelona (2020) and previously worked with Médecins Sans Frontières in Kenya, Angola, and Darfur (1999-2004), followed by the Human Disarmament and Security Program at UAB's School of Culture of Peace.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Diploma in Nursing, Universitat de Vic (UVic)
• Licentiate in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
• Master in Tropical Medicine and International Health, University of Barcelona (UB)
• Master in Culture of Peace, UAB
• Master in Clinical Research: Specialization in International Health, UB
• PhD, University of Barcelona (2020)

Dr. Maixenchs specializes in socio-anthropological approaches to global health interventions, particularly focusing on community acceptance of minimally invasive autopsy methods for cause-of-death determination in resource-limited settings. Her research integrates cultural anthropology with public health to address infectious disease outbreaks (Zika, HIV), maternal-child health challenges, and health system strengthening across Africa, Asia, and Spain. She emphasizes community engagement in designing contextually appropriate health surveillance systems.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent methodological focus on mixed-methods and qualitative research to assess the viability of health innovations in diverse cultural contexts. Her work systematically examines community perceptions across six African and Asian countries, identifying cultural, religious, and structural factors influencing acceptance of mortality surveillance tools while maintaining ethical sensitivity to local practices.

Currently based at ISGlobal in Barcelona after five years of field research in Mozambique, she leads multi-center international collaborations to improve cause-of-death data collection and develop culturally adapted health interventions for underserved populations in low-resource settings.