Caroline Meier zu Biesen

Dr. Caroline Meier zu Biesen is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Science and a member of the Athena Institute and Network Institute at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on global health systems, climate change impacts on health, and sociopolitical dynamics in healthcare. She leads projects addressing nature-based therapies for well-being, toxic legacies of malaria control programs, and pandemic governance during the COVID-19 crisis. She teaches courses on global health drivers and international public health.

Research Interests: Her work spans medical anthropology, planetary health, and the interplay between environmental degradation and health equity. She examines how political conflicts, diaspora communities, and global health policies shape healthcare access and outcomes, particularly in marginalized regions.

• Key Projects:
• Developing Nature-Based Therapy for Health and Well-Being
• Traces of Eradication: Toxic Legacies of Malaria Control in Pare Valley
• Planetary Health: Planetary Thinking in the Social Sciences and Humanities

Labs/Teams: She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across the Athena Institute, Network Institute, and international partners to address complex health challenges through anthropological and sociological lenses.