Susan Dierickx

Dr. Susan Dierickx is a medical anthropologist specializing in gender studies and global health. She holds a joint PhD in Gender and Diversity from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University (2015–2020). Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher at the Socio-ecological Health Research Unit of the Institute of Tropical Medicine. Previously, she served as a Research Professor and Coordinator of the Centre of Expertise on Gender, Diversity, and Intersectionality at VUB (2020–2022).

• Affiliations: Institute of Tropical Medicine, VUB, Ghent University
• Key Roles: Postdoctoral Researcher, Former Research Professor, Project Coordinator
• Research Focus: Infertility in low-resource settings, malaria, maternal health, and gender studies in Africa

Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary research in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in The Gambia, Senegal, Benin, and Burkina Faso. She has led projects such as the 'Understanding social vulnerability for malaria control' (2014–2018) and contributed to the 'HITIHE: Health information and technology for improved healthcare education' (2019–2023).

Her research highlights include the Paul de Vroede Prize and a Presidential Medal Award (IFFS) for her network's contributions. She has authored over 28 publications, focusing on reproductive health, health systems, and policy interventions.

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s in Sociology (Ghent University)
  • Master’s in Social and Cultural Anthropology (KU Leuven)
  • Advanced Master in Development Studies (Ghent University)

Her recent work addresses fertility care implementation in The Gambia, emphasizing policymakers' perspectives and health system challenges. She also advocates for equitable healthcare education through initiatives like Wikitropica.