I am a PhD researcher in the Health, Care, and the Body programme group of the University of Amsterdam Department of Anthropology. I have a background in (medical) anthropology and philosophy, which I combine to explore how people care for challenging situations in which multiple conflicting values are at stake.
Currently, my research is part of the ERC-funded VetValues project, which examines the position of livestock veterinarians in society at large and their role in shaping the diverse values at stake in European animal agriculture, including food safety and availability, economy, ecology, animal welfare, and public health. I focus particularly on how veterinarians in farms and slaughterhouses of the Dutch meat industry shape animal lives to limit unnecessary suffering, while simultaneously enabling meat animal lives to result in economically viable and safe food products.
In my research, I combine in-depth ethnographic observation with philosophical reflection to gain a profound understanding of how my informants grapple with pressing challenges. I engage in various forms of public, academic, and creative writing to find new mediums that match the message.
VetValues: an ethnography on how veterinarians in the Dutch meat industry negotiate animal welfare and food production
BA – Doing Anthropology (tutorial teacher)