Medical anthropologist Emily Brunson discusses challenges of COVID vaccination with Big Ideas TXST

Emily K. Brunson, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the how vaccination hesitancy is complicating the effort to immunize the U.S. population against the COVID-19 pandemic in the new episode for March.

An applied anthropologist specializing in medical anthropology, Brunson received an M.P.H. in epidemiology and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her primary research focus is health care access and decision-making, and particularly how policies, social structures (including class and racial inequalities), social networks and personal experience combine to produce health outcomes for individuals. She is currently developing research plans and conducting policy outreach in relation to COVID-19 vaccination with colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and working on a study of COVID-19 vaccination knowledge, attitudes and behavior among college students. 

Big Ideas TXST is a monthly podcast from Texas State’s Division of University Advancement that goes inside the fascinating minds forging innovation, research and creativity at the university. Hosted by Daniel Seed, a lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, each episode features thoughtful interviews and discussion with the thought leaders developing innovative ideas to make the world a better place.

Big Ideas TXST can be found at news.txstate.edu/inside-txst/big-ideas-podcast. The podcast may also be listened to or subscribed to at:

• Anchor
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify