Emma Varley

Emma Varley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Brandon University, Faculty of Arts. She holds adjunct appointments at the University of Saskatchewan (Department of Archaeology and Anthropology), University of Manitoba (Centre for Global Public Health), and is an external member of the University of Sussex’s Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Technologies and Health. Formerly President of the Canadian Anthropology Society (2022-2023), her work focuses on critical medical anthropology, global public health, and the intersections of conflict, governance, and healthcare in South Asia.

Her research explores maternal and neonatal health challenges in conflict zones like Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan and India’s Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing ethnographic methods. Key themes include sectarian violence’s impact on healthcare access, neoliberal health policies, and participatory research in crisis settings. Recent projects investigate spectral representations of warfare in Canadian and European memorials.

Varley’s publications critically analyze global health interventions, hospital infrastructures, and the sociopolitical determinants of health. She has led multi-site studies funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, examining maternal healthcare outcomes in India. Current work bridges medical anthropology with memorialization practices, exploring how historical conflicts are rendered through museum and archival spaces.

• Primary grants: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2018-2021 maternal health study)
• Labs/teams: Collaboration with University of Manitoba’s CGPH, India Health Action Trust (IHAT), and international anthropological networks
• Future projects: Multi-sited ethnography on warfare memorials in Europe/Canada (WWII sites)