Alice Street is Professor of Anthropology and Health at the University of Edinburgh and specialises in the development and deployment of medical technologies for under-resourced settings. Her current research focuses on the environmental and social impacts of plastic waste from single-use medical devices, and the value assumptions that drive wastefulness in global health. She also explores the emergence of alternative, more sustainable and equitable global health innovation systems.

Amani Anaeli is a Tanzanian public health researcher and lecturer at Muhimbili University. With a background in urban planning and medical sociology, he focuses on health systems, community health workers, and urbanization. He explores the link between development and health service delivery in low-income settings. He is eager to study single-use plastics in sustainable healthcare delivery.

Amardeep Sidki is a final-year medical student at Leicester Medical School, passionate about tackling health inequalities, including the hidden impacts of plastics on vulnerable communities. With a background in medical research, Amardeep is excited to explore how deconstructing single-use devices can drive more sustainable healthcare practices and contribute to a healthier, fairer future for everyone.

Anastasiia Martynenko’s key responsibilities at HCWH Europe include leading the organisation of training and educational activities and coordinating research and data collection to support the implementation of projects in the healthcare sector (transition to reusable textiles, phase-out of PVC, toxic chemicals, unnecessary single-use plastics, etc.). She has over seven years' experience in running a social enterprise, consulting, and managing an environmental NGO with numerous projects and teams in Ukraine, as well as an alliance of NGOs.

Andrea Azizi Kifyasi is a senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Kifyasi specialises in medical history and is interested in global health, China’s aid to Africa, and medical diplomacy. His ongoing research examines the collaborations between government and non-governmental organisations in providing healthcare services for people living with HIV in the Iringa region of Tanzania, from the 1980s to 2022. 

Angela Kelly-Hanku is a social scientist and leading expert in global health equity and justice, with a focus on the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Her research focuses on self-collection and point-of-care technologies that include work on biomedical waste management. She utilizes person-centred and strengths-based approaches to address critical health issues such as infectious diseases, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health to drive positive health outcomes in the communities she serves.

Angeliki Balayannis is a transdisciplinary social scientist working on pollution and planetary health, specialising in the everyday use, management, and governance of chemicals. Trained as a human geographer, Angeliki is currently an Associate Professor in the Knowledge Technology and Innovation Group at Wageningen University and Research (Netherlands), and a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Sustainable Chemistry in Leuphana University Lüneberg (Germany).

Anne Kveim Lie is an associate professor of medical anthropology and history with a background in medicine. She holds a PhD in Medical History and has conducted research at institutions in Norway, Germany, and the United States. Her research explores how diseases and medical practices have evolved and impacted societies. Her passion for teaching has been acknowledged with the prestigious "10 best academic teachers in Norway" award in 2016.

Aravindhan Nagarajan was formerly a research scholar with the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. His current research work focuses on ​‘Recycling and Industrial Sustainability in the Indian Economy’ with a focus on informal sector plastic recycling units. He has also worked on the subject of risk perceptions and uncertainty pertaining to technological adoption in agriculture. His research interests include industrial sustainability, climate change, risk and uncertainty.

Assa Doron is an anthropologist specializing in urban studies, development, environment, public health, media, and technology, with a particular focus on India. His research has significantly contributed to our understanding of cultural dynamics, technological change, and environmental challenges in South Asia. Assa is currently investigating critical issues at the intersection of public health, environmental degradation, and the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.

Bruno Strasser is a leading historian of science, technology and medicine, as well as a former experimental biologist. He specialises in relationships between the biomedical sciences and society in the modern era. His research has covered topics like the history of medical masks, big data, citizen science, molecular biology, and science policy. Full professor at the University of Geneva and affiliate at Yale University, he is known for his interdisciplinary engagement with present biomedical issues.

Cat Acheson is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist, with expertise in sustainability transitions, discard studies, and environmental justice. She completed her PhD at the University of East Anglia in 2024, writing her thesis on grassroots waste innovations and intersectionality. She holds degrees in Environment, Culture and Communication and in English Literature from the University of Glasgow. She has worked at Zero Waste Scotland, for the University of London’s sustainability team, and on the Public Engagement Laboratory for Nature and Society at UEA.

Danielle Farrow is a PhD student taking an ethnographic perspective on the transition away from single use plastics in the Scottish NHS and seeking to further our understanding on how concepts of value, disposability, use and reuse shift over time. Prior to this project, Danielle worked on the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub within the University of Exeter Business School Sustainable Futures department. Her academic interests include bringing a system’s thinking perspective to the process of societal change, such as the implementation of sustainable futures.

Elizabeth H. Shayo is a Principal Research Scientist at NIMR with a PhD in International Health and postdoctoral training from LSTM. With 23 years of experience, she has led qualitative and quantitative studies on malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB, NCDs, maternal health, and outbreak diseases including COVID-19. She specialises in health systems, governance, community empowerment, and stakeholder engagement, producing policy briefs, facilitating dialogue, and coordinating social science components in integrated healthcare research.

Eloïse Richard is an environmental historian and PhD student at the University of Geneva, with a specialisation in sustainability, political philosophy, and critical theory. Eloïse wrote her Masters’ thesis on the history of Malthusian discourse in French environmental movements during the postwar period. She has also been active as a student representative and community organiser. In addition, she is completing her training to become a pastry chef.

Evelyn Willman is a final-year medical student from the University of Leicester, with a background in medical research and an interest in education. She is passionate about improving healthcare for different communities and future generations. Evelyn is excited to be involved in exploring the impact of single-use plastics and further sustainable practices in healthcare.

Gauri Sanjeev Pathak is a sociocultural and medical anthropologist focusing on South Asia, particularly urban India. Gauri’s research interests centre on interactions between the body and its environment, globalizing processes, and consumption practices. Currently, she is researching how the environmental and health costs of rampant plastic use and disposal are experienced and comprehended in different local contexts. Previous research explored lived experiences of polycystic ovary syndrome and how marketing and consumption practices affect understandings of the body in India.

Haripriya Narasimhan is Assistant Professor of Social Anthropology and Sociology at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. Haripriya’s research interests are in medical anthropology, media anthropology, and climate change. Her fieldwork experience spans urban, rural, and tribal areas in India, including Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, Maharashtra. Connecting her research interests in health and media, Haripriya is venturing into the field of digital health. She researches health care decision-making, chronic diseases, globalisation, caste, kinship, and gender. 

Iris Borowy is Distinguished Professor at the University of Shanghai and founding co-editor of the Yearbook of the History of Global Development. She has published widely on topics regarding the histories of global health, and sustainable development. She is presently working on a project exploring the work of international organizations regarding waste conceptualizations and waste management. She has published articles regarding the evolution of international thinking regarding healthcare waste, hazardous waste and human waste.

Jacob Doherty specialises in urban and environmental anthropology. His research grapples with how African cities are responding to the entwined issues of economic inequality and environmental justice. He has conducted ethnographic research in Uganda, the Ivory Coast, and the USA, examining the everyday infrastructures through which urban residents construct and provision their lives, focusing particularly on waste and mobility. He is currently researching 'Everyday Mobilities in African Informal Transport Systems'.

Jamee Newland is a qualitative health researcher based at the Kirby Institute, focused on global health equity and justice. Using participatory and arts-based methods, she examines how health is shaped by intersectionality, community, and climate change. With experience in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, she brings strong skills in mentoring, supervision, and capacity building across diverse communities.

Jeremy Greene is a medical historian and anthropologist whose research explores the impact of medical technologies on health and society. He directs the Institute of the History of Medicine and the Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine at Johns Hopkins. His work focuses on the history of pharmaceuticals, telehealth, and disposable medical technologies, examining their influence on medical practice, public health, and the environment.

Josh Lepawsky is Professor of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. He researches the connections between geography, technological systems, and their discards. Questions include: Where and how are contemporary discards made? Where do they travel and where do their effects accumulate? Who gets what discards, where, how, and under what conditions? He is also interested in how maintenance and repair might offer lessons for living well in a polluted world. 

Julie Sze is Professor of American Studies at UC Davis. She is also the founding director of the Environmental Justice Project for UC Davis’ John Muir Institute for the Environment. Sze's research, which has been published widely, investigates environmental justice and environmental inequality; culture and environment; race, gender and power; and urban/community health and activism. She collaborates with environmental scientists, engineers, social scientists and community-based organizers in California and New York.

Karen McGeough is a chartered accountant and has over 20 years of experience in the higher education and public sectors. Previously the Deputy Finance Director of one of the Scottish Research Institutes and also a former audit director, she brings a wealth of experience in the financials involved in grant management and supporting project partners.

Khoudia Sow is a sociologist, medical doctor, and researcher at the Regional Center for Clinical Management and Training (CRCF) in Dakar, Senegal. Since 1998, her research has focused on the social and health aspects of AIDs, particularly in Senegal. Her work has significantly influenced national HIV policies, highlighting the importance of integrating biomedical and social aspects of care. Her research has explored various topics, including adherence to antiretroviral therapy, gender dynamics, and epidemic response.

Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas is a renowned researcher in microfluidics, specializing in the development of tools for circulating nucleic acid analysis. Her work has applications in infectious diseases, oncology, and non-invasive prenatal testing. With a focus on micro and nanotechnologies, Maiden is committed to advancing rapid prototyping and cost-effective manufacturing processes. She is passionate about outreach and inspiring the public to embrace engineering and manufacturing as tools for problem-solving.

Maria Raquel Passos Lima is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, where she founded and co-coordinates ResiduaLab: Laboratory of Social Studies of Waste. Maria researches waste as an anthropological object, focusing on how its materiality intersects with urban life and cityscapes in the Global South. Her broader research interests include environmental and urban issues related to waste, toxicity, water, infrastructure, climate change, and grassroots activism.

Marissa Mika is a writer and editor living in Berkeley, California. Trained as a historian and anthropologist of medicine, science, and technology in Africa, she has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in the History and Sociology of Science and a MHS in International Health from Johns Hopkins. Marissa’s first book, ‘Africanizing Oncology: Creativity, Crisis, and Cancer in Uganda’, tells the remarkable story of the Uganda Cancer Institute.

Melanie Samson is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg. Before academia, she worked in South African trade unions and for NGOs on women’s and informal workers’ struggle for justice. Her research arises out of and contributes to her political work with reclaimer (‘waste pickers’) organisations. Melanie's academic work focuses on the political ecology of reclaiming, the production of value by non-wage workers, and reclaimers’ struggles to redress gendered racial capitalism and achieve a just transition.

Millie is a mechanical engineer who believes the right design approaches are vital in transforming our waste and discard healthcare economy. With her experience in research, start-ups, and industry-leading companies operating in both low- and high-resource healthcare contexts, she understands firsthand the challenges facing the global healthcare industry. Millie joined this project from the dynamic soft tissue robotics industry and hopes to support other innovators in tackling more sustainable healthcare challenges.

Nanda Kishore Kannuri is a social anthropologist interested in the intersection of anthropology and public health. His work bridges ethnographic analysis with policy and practice, aiming to improve the lives of vulnerable communities. His research interests include medical anthropology, multi-species ethnography, marginalisation, mental health and wellbeing, and sustainability.

Having graduated in Community Health, Ndèye Fatou Senghor focuses her academic interests on infectious disease prevention, community engagement, and the promotion of sustainable and inclusive health solutions. She is currently exploring the widespread use of single-use plastic medical devices in healthcare systems, their adoption trajectories, their multiple impacts, and potential sustainable alternatives in Senegal.

Peter Mangesho is a social anthropologist specializing in the study of the social and cultural aspects of health and diseases. His ongoing research focuses on antibiotic circulation, use and regulation in relation to antibiotic resistance in Africa. In the current project he is studying the historical contribution of global funded health programs and clinical research to single-use medical devices in Tanzania.

Raychel Gadson is a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University studying Political Science. Her research focuses on urban politics, housing and environmental justice, and community organizing. Raychel has a background in African and African American studies and mass communications. Her work explores the intersection of urban politics, public health, and Black feminist thought, centring on the needs of Black women and the importance of community-driven solutions.

Rebekka Sæter is an artist, choreographer and outdoor educator and works as a project manager and teacher at NOBA and Vitenparken Science Center. Her educational background is from performance (the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), choreography (Dartington CoA, HZT Berlin) and outdoor education (NIH, UoC). She received the Norwegian Dance Artist Association stipend and her work has been shown at The Arne Næss Symposium, SCI_ART and Impulstanz. Rebekka  lectured in outdoor education at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH) and co-edits the BECOMING-series.

Renzo R. Guinto is Associate Professor of Global and Planetary Health at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, National University of Singapore. He is a leading ‘pracademic’ of climate and health and a global pioneer of the field of planetary health. An adviser to the Philippine Climate Change Commission and the World Health Organization, Renzo works on various climate-health issues, such as climate impacts on mental health and climate-induced migration, among others.

Ruth Stringer has been working with HCWH for over ten years, coordinating work on waste, and providing expertise on chemicals, pharmaceuticals and procurement. She is a member of the ISWA healthcare waste working group, a technical advisor to the Africa Healthcare Waste Management project and advises on waste management policies internationally. She maintains the organization’s database of sustainable technologies and promotes sustainable technologies for low and medium-income countries.

Sanskrithi Thakur leads the implementation of Health Care Without Harm’s climate and sustainability tools strategy. Before joining the organization, she worked as a climate researcher focused on understanding agriculture and climate adaptation in Germany and India and helping organizations achieve their net-zero goals. Sanskrithi holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology and an MBA in Sustainable Development and Management from Nalanda University, India.

Simone M. Müller is DFG-Heisenberg Professor for Global Environmental History and Environmental Humanities at the University of Augsburg. As a historian and environmental humanities scholar, Simone has a particular focus on globalisation processes, the intersection of ecology and economy, and the era of the Anthropocene. Her research has received numerous awards and fellowships, among them from the Smithsonian Institution, the Science History Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania.

As the Circular Healthcare Programme Manager, Tatiana De Wée leads the development and implementation of HCWH Europe’s circular healthcare strategy and work programme, to support the healthcare sector to phase out unnecessary single-use products and toxic chemicals and become a torchbearer for sustainable supply chains and sustainable resource management. She has a career in communications and EU project management with an expertise in circular textiles and (multilayered) plastics.

Tidiane Ndoye is a Doctor of the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS) and a Lecturer-researcher in the Department of Sociology at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. Tidiane is a specialist in the socio-anthropology of health. His research examines environmental health, community mobilisation, and disease politics in Senegal, exploring work explores local responses to ecological degradation, participatory strategies for preserving water bodies, and the social dimensions of malaria, highlighting how policies, knowledge, and actors shape health governance.

Tikam is a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam in Anthropology. She is researching reproductive health education/sexuality education in Senegal, by identifying obstacles to actual trends and proposing a locally based approach. Her latest publication analyses female genital mutilation from an Islamic perspective in Senegal.

Victoria Anker is a seasoned research project manager with a decade of experience in Higher Education. Specializing in impact strategy and partnership management, she oversees complex projects involving diverse stakeholders. Victoria's expertise includes training and capacity development, ethical and equitable partnerships, and financial and contractual management. Her focus is on driving creative solutions and demonstrating the value of research.

Warwick Anderson is the Janet Dora Hine Professor of Politics, Governance and Ethics in the Discipline of Health and leader of the Politics, Governance and Ethics theme with the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney. As a historian of science, medicine, and public health, focusing on Asia-Pacific and the USA, Warwick is interested in ideas about race, human difference, and citizenship in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. More recently, he has focused on the conceptual development of disease ecology and planetary health.

Will Clark is International Supply Chain Transformation Senior Director at Health Care Without Harm, with over 20 years of experience in sustainability, including 15 years of working at a senior level focused on climate action, circular economy, and resource management in the health care sector. Previous to this role, Will was Executive Director of HCWH Europe, and prior to joining HCWH Europe, spent nine years working in the NHS in the UK.