Grace Akello

Dr. Grace Akello is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of East and Central Africa's pioneer Master of Medical Anthropology Programme, with additional roles as a UKRI college member. Her work bridges anthropology, global health, and ethnography to address health crises in conflict-affected regions.

Her academic foundation was built through Medical Anthropology training at the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University (Netherlands), where she held NUFFIC and WOTRO fellowships respectively. Since 2012, she has maintained affiliation with Leiden University's African Studies Centre as a Research Fellow, complemented by a 2018 Ruth Glass Fellowship residency at LSE.

Dr. Akello's research centers on youth health navigation in complex emergencies and HIV/AIDS contexts, with signature investigations into former child soldiers' experiences, war-induced silencing of distressed children, Ebola epidemic care ethics ('oughtness of care'), defective medical systems, and amnesty impacts on ex-combatant reintegration. Her 2017 Social Science & Medicine publication on Gulu's Ebola outbreak exemplifies her focus on cultural dimensions of epidemic response.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Amsterdam School for Social Science Research PhD premium (2008/2009)
• LSE Ruth Glass Fellowship (2018)
• NUFFIC and WOTRO Netherlands fellowships

As programme coordinator for Africa's first Medical Anthropology master's degree, she shapes academic leadership in conflict-zone health research while maintaining active field engagement across Uganda and DRC border regions.