Jonathan Kennedy

Dr Jonathan Kennedy is a Reader in Politics and Global Health at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), serving as co-Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Health & Policy. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge (2013) and previously taught at University College London and worked at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Sociology. His research integrates sociology, political economy, anthropology, and international relations to analyze public health challenges, including vaccine hesitancy in Europe, the impact of CIA drone strikes on Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts, and Yemen’s cholera outbreak linked to Saudi-led bombing. His award-winning book Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History (Penguin, 2023) explores the societal impact of infectious diseases from prehistory to the present, recognized as a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and featured in Times, Financial Times, and Sunday Times best books of 2023.

• Education: PhD in Sociology (University of Cambridge, 2013)
• Media Contributions: Articles in Guardian, El Pais, Project Syndicate, and London Review of Books
• Research Focus: Political determinants of health crises, global health governance, and interdisciplinary approaches to disease history

His publications span journals like BMJ Global Health, Lancet Global Health, and Globalization and Health, addressing topics ranging from farmer suicides in India to conflict-driven health emergencies. He currently supervises Aida Hussain, whose research examines global health governance in Yemen and Syria. Dr Kennedy is active on Twitter @j_j_kennedy.