Holly Wardlow

Holly Wardlow is a Professor at the Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, specializing in Medical Anthropology, Sociocultural Anthropology, and Oceania. Her research bridges gender, agency, health, and the body, with a focus on Papua New Guinea.

• Key research themes: Feminist Anthropology, Global Health, Ethnography, HIV/AIDS, Violence, Love/Marriage
• Notable works: Fencing in AIDS: Gender, Vulnerability, and Care in Papua New Guinea (2020), The Secret: Love, Marriage, and HIV (2010), Wayward Women: Sexuality and Agency in a New Guinea Society (2006)

Her recent publications analyze women's experiences with HIV in Papua New Guinea, emphasizing intersections of pathogen exposure, governmental/family discipline, and affective labor. Earlier work introduced the concept of 'negative agency' through studies of 'passenger women' navigating stigma in PNG's sociocultural context.

Professor Wardlow supervises graduate students including Veronica Grigio, Hannah Quinn, and Sarah Williams. She has conducted fieldwork across PNG's gold/oil extraction zones, examining gendered HIV vulnerability mechanisms.

Contact: hwardlow@chass.utoronto.ca | Office: AP 270, St. George Campus