My Work
Katharina Rynkiewich, PhD translates the complexities of medical anthropology into actionable insights for public health and clinical care.
Research in Plain Language
Dr. Katharina Rynkiewich investigates how the medicines we use to fight infections, like antibiotics, are becoming less effective. According to Dr. Rynkiewich, this isn't just a biological problem; it's a social and environmental one.
Her research examines the "microbiology of culture"—how hospital routines, medical training, and institutional policies influence the way doctors prescribe antibiotics. By observing these clinical spaces through ethnography, she uncovers the invisible factors that drive antibiotic resistance.
The Climate Connection
"As our planet warms, the way bacteria move and evolve changes. My work connects the micro-scale of hospital wards to the macro-scale of global climate change, ensuring public health strategies are prepared for the environmental shifts of the 21st century."
