معرفی
Christina Weis is a Senior Lecturer in Global Health at De Montfort University, affiliated with the School of Allied Health Sciences in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. She is a social and cultural anthropologist with a focus on reproductive politics, gender, and transnational reproduction. Her research is centered on the Centre for Reproduction Research and the Sussex Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Technologies and Health (CORTH).
Education:
- PhD, De Montfort University
- MSc in Cultural Anthropology: Sociocultural Transformations (Research), Utrecht University
- BA in Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna
Her research interests include medical anthropology, gender and queer studies, reproduction research, social aspects of infertility, post-socialism, and ethnographic methodologies. She is particularly known for her ethnographic work on commercial surrogacy in Russia, where she frames surrogacy as labor rather than motherhood. Her monograph Surrogacy in Russia (2021) is a key contribution to the field.
The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend in transnational reproductive practices, including surrogacy, egg donation, and fertility tourism, with a focus on ethical, emotional, and socioeconomic dimensions. Her work spans countries such as Russia, the UK, Spain, China, India, and Kazakhstan, often analyzing how reproductive labor is stratified by gender, class, and migration status.
Scientific Awards and Honors:
- PhD Studentship, De Montfort University (2013–2016)
- Visiting Research Scholarship, The Netherlands Institute in Saint Petersburg (2012–2013)
- Best Poster Award, De Montfort University (2014)
She supervises postgraduate students, including Cathi Rae, and has been involved in grant-funded projects related to reproductive health and decision-making during the pandemic. She teaches modules on global health research methods, gender and health, and qualitative research ethics. Since 2023, she has co-chaired the BSA Human Reproduction Study Group, demonstrating active leadership in her academic community. She also co-leads the MSc Global Health programme in a job-sharing arrangement.
Her research is conducted within collaborative teams and networks, including the Centre for Reproduction Research and CORTH, and she regularly presents at international conferences on reproductive ethics, technology, and policy.
