Jasmine Arcilla

Short presentation

I am a PhD student doing interdisciplinary work at the Centre for Gender Research and the Centre for Health and Sustainability. My current research focuses on holistically understanding the socioecological factors—driven by colonial power and gender structures—that influence the transmission of the zoonotic disease Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), and the implications these have on marginalised human and more-than-human lives within smallholder pig farming communities in northern Uganda.

Keywords

• gender structures
• decolonial
• interdisciplinary
• socioecological
• One Health
• T. solium
• pig farming
• zoonotic disease
• WaSH
• qualitative methods
• Uganda

Biography

In addition to my position as a PhD student, I have been a guest lecturer in the Power, Equity and Transformation course of the Master's Programme in Implementation, Transformative Learning and Sustainability. I am also currently the PhD Representative of the Work Environment Group at the Centre for Gender Research.

Prior to entering the world of academic research in Sweden, I was a practicing medical doctor in the Philippines who served in rural communities for several years. On top of my medical degree, I obtained two master’s degrees—a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of the Philippines, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Sexual, Reproductive and Perinatal Health from Dalarna University.

My professional and academic background, along with my ongoing interdisciplinary research work, have also led me to additional positions outside of Uppsala University. I am a current Graduate Fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) based in Kenya. I am also a PhD student representative at GlobeLife, and a steering group member of the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Sweden.

Research

My PhD research project:

Parasites, Patriarchy and Pig Farming: Examining the Socioecological Causes, Consequences and Futures of Taenia solium Infection in Uganda