Hanne Overgaard Mogensen

Hanne Overgaard Mogensen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Social Sciences. She is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research on global health, gender, and human security, with a strong focus on Uganda, other African countries, and Denmark. She coordinates the Health and Life Conditions (HALC) research group and contributes to the Creative Ethnography and Impact research clusters.

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Copenhagen (1999)

Her research centers on the anthropology of health, particularly how epidemics like HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 impact everyday life, social relations, and the life conditions of vulnerable populations. She explores themes of uncertainty, responsibility, and inter-subjectivity, with a special focus on women and youth. Her work combines ethnographic depth with literary and narrative methods, as seen in her monograph Secrecy and Responsibility in the Era of an Epidemic. She also investigates how anthropology is practiced beyond academia, contributing to public understanding and policy through books like The Moral Work of Anthropology and Antropologien på arbejde.

Her recent publications span diverse topics including reproductive health during lockdowns, green charcoal innovation in Uganda, homemaking, and medical education. These reflect a broad interdisciplinary engagement across health, environment, gender, and education. The articles demonstrate a consistent commitment to ethnographic rigor and societal relevance.

Scientific awards include:

• The Einer Hansen Research Fund's prize for excellent research within the humanities (2015)
• Grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark, Culture and Communication (2015)

She supervises and teaches in the Master’s Programme in Anthropology of Health and has extensive experience in collaborative research with Ugandan universities. She has received significant research funding and leads multiple ongoing projects, including IMAGENU, UPCHAIN, and studies on labour migration. Her work bridges academic inquiry with real-world impact, particularly in global health and social development.

She is part of active research networks involving Danish and African institutions, contributing to interdisciplinary global health initiatives. Her research group HALC fosters innovation in ethnographic methods and social analysis.