Pamela Erickson

Professor Pamela Erickson is a distinguished scholar in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where she has made significant contributions to medical anthropology and global health through rigorous ethnographic research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Education

• Ph.D., University at Buffalo, 1993
• Dr.P.H., UCLA

Research Expertise

Her work spans medical anthropology, ethnomedicine, maternal and child health, and global health, with deep focus on sexual and reproductive health across diverse populations. Fieldwork includes Latina teen mothers in East Los Angeles, adolescents in the Philippines, African American and Puerto Rican emerging adults in Hartford, and the Waorani in Amazonian Ecuador. She examines sexual cultures, reproductive decision-making, and warfare's impact on fitness through cultural and biological lenses.

Publication Trends

Analysis of her 2013-2022 publications reveals consistent exploration of syndemics, stigma intersections, and indigenous health systems. Her Waorani research demonstrates how warfare strategies affect reproductive success, while urban studies unpack social contexts of sexual initiation and contraceptive use. Recent work advocates rebranding health anthropology to address 21st-century global challenges through integrated theoretical frameworks.