Nancy Perini Chin, Ph.D., M.P.H.

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Topic Areas of Interest: Social class gradient in health; women's position in society and its impact on their health and the health of their children

Poor health outcomes are not randomly distributed throughout society: forms of social organization and cultural meanings all contribute to differential outcomes. However, the exact mechanisms by which culture and society influence morbidity and mortality are not well understood. I use an ethnographic approach at the level of the household and neighborhood to elucidate these pathways. My MPH thesis research looked at the relationship between household organization, wealth, and child health as reflected in the growth of children five years and under in southwest Tibet. More recently, I have become the co-director along with Dr. Becky Loy of Project Drolma, a community health improvement effort done in collaboration with a group of nomadic herders on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. Using an interdisciplinary team of Tibetan and US researchers and workers, we have made a 10 year commitment to the community to help improve maternal and child health outcomes. I teach several different medical humanities seminars on looking at such issues as women and medicine, culture conflict in literature, alternative medical practices, and international health. I have co-taught maternal and child health seminars on both domestic and international topics. Through Summer Fellowship Programs I have taught and supervised both public health and medical students in ethnographic research at the level of the community. Students' projects have included: distribution of birthing kits to nomadic households in Qinghai; water usage in Tamil Nadu; and Buddhist practices and thought related to the treatment and prevention of depression.

Current Appointments

• Associate Professor - Department of Community and Preventive Medicine (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Medical Humanities (SMD)