Adrienne E. Strong
Associate Professor
Areas of Interest/Research
I am a medical anthropologist working primarily in Tanzania. My research interests coalesce around the conditions and dynamics of care in biomedical health facilities. This started as an interest in maternal mortality in hospital settings and has come to include scholarly interests in obstetric violence, gendered dynamics in the nursing profession and care provision in biomedical settings, health system financing in ethnographic perspective, accountability, pain management practices, as well as care theories and empirical/everyday ethics. Since 2020, I have also been working with physicians at UF Shands on projects related to patient experiences and access to health care, further extending my interests in health inequities, patient-provider interactions, and the dynamics of health care in biomedical settings. In 2026, I am wrapping up a four year National Science Foundation grant for a project examining pain care practices and palliative care across various settings in Tanzania. I am currently working on a second book project about nurse-midwives and the nursing profession in Tanzania, as well as developing a new research project on in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Tanzania.
For Undergrads
Are you an undergrad interested in getting involved in research in medical anthropology? Send me an email to ask about Medical Anthropology Lab, a one credit experience for learning more about research methods in anthropology, getting involved in research, and connecting with your peers! This course is not offered every semester so be sure to check with me about when I will offer it next. You will get the most out of this course if you have taken ANT 2464 but it is open to anyone with an interest in pursuing medical anthropology beyond the classroom. It is also required if you are working with me on an undergrad honors thesis project.
Study Abroad: UF in Tanzania-Culture & Healthcare
We have led this program three years in a row during the Summer B term. We spend approximately five weeks in Tanzania learning basic medical anthropological concepts and ethnographic field methods while spending our days in two different hospitals. There are also a number of excursions, including a safari to Ruaha National Park and several days in Zanzibar at the end of the trip. To find out more and please visit the UFIC website. We will not be offering the program in 2027 but hope to return again in the future! Check the UFIC website for the most up to date info.
For Prospective Graduate Students
Are you a prospective grad student interested in applying to our Ph.D. program and wanting to work with me? I’d love to hear from you and learn more about your research interests! I take students interested in studying reproductive health broadly construed, hospital ethnography, palliative and end-of-life care, theories of care, health in Africa, and other related topics. Please get in touch to find out if we might be a good fit. I will only be taking one to two students for the 2026-2027 application cycle.
Office Hours Fall Semester 2026
Tuesdays 2-3pm and Fridays 1-2pm or by appointment
Personal Website
Contact Information
Email: adrienne.strong@ufl.edu
Phone: +1-352-392-4490
Office: 441 Grinter Hall
Mailing Address:
Department of Anthropology
University of Florida
P.O. Box 117305
Gainesville, FL 32611-7305