Chris M. Kurian, PhD

Dr. Kurian is a public health researcher and consultant. Her recently completed doctoral work, submitted to the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, focused on perceptions of well-being, health, and illness among lower-middle class populations in Delhi. Her experience includes qualitative and mixed method research studies in rural and urban India. Her work spans areas including well-being, perceptions and health seeking behavior, local health traditions, environment, and politics of knowledge in health. Dr. Kurian has worked for institutions and projects including the International Centre for Research on Women, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, and the Public Report on Health, among others. She has been associated with SIT since Fall 2017 as visiting faculty and research advisor.

Courses Taught

Field Methods and Ethics in Health Science
Social Determinants, Equity, Reproductive and Child Health
Field Practicum 

Select Publications

Kurian, C.M. (4th April 2020) How Kerala’s People-Centric Health System Built Over 24 Years Is Paying Off Now Available at https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/kerala-people-centric-health-system-coronavirus_in_5e875d55c5b6a9491835cb9e 

Kurian, C.M. Being Lower Middle Class: Wellbeing, Health and Illness in South Delhi in Priya, R. (ed) ‘Delhi’s Health Calls for a Paradigm Shift: Technologies, Systems Design and Governance for Empowered Citizens on Urban Health’ (Forthcoming) 

Priya, R. and Kurian, C.M. (2nd May 2018) Regulating access and protecting traditional health knowledge through IPR? Issues from a Holistic Health Systems Perspective. In: Science Technology and Society, Special Issue on Pharmaceutical Industry in the Global South Available at https://doi.org/10.1177/0971721818762937 

Kurian, C.M. (April 2017) In a difficult place: Change and Perceptions of Wellbeing among the Lower middle class in World Class Delhi. [Online] In: International Research Journal of Human Resources and Social Sciences. 4(4). p. 28-42. Available at http://aarf.asia/hr2.php?p=Volume4,Issue4,April2017 

Kurian, C.M. (May 2017)  Tis not just a laughing matter: A conversation with Chris Mary Kurian. Interviewed by Madhura Lohokare. In: Cafe Dissensus  https://cafedissensus.com/2017/05/15/tis-not-just-a-laughing-matter-a-conversation-with-chris-m-kurian/ 

Priya, R. and Kurian, C.M. (26th August 2016) Can India draw red lines to protect traditional health knowledge systems from bio piracy? In: The Scroll. Available at: https://scroll.in/pulse/814949/can-india-draw-red-lines-to-protect-traditional-health-knowledge-systems-from-bio-piracy 

Baru, R. and Kurian, C.M. (2009) Towards an Expanded Conceptualisation of Quality in Public Health’ in Priya, R. and Shalina Mehta (eds.) Dialogue on AIDS- Perspectives for the Indian Context. New Delhi. Vasudhaiva Kuttumbakkam Publication.  

Priya, R., Usha V.T and Kurian, C.M. (2002) ‘Societal Concerns and Strategies for AIDS Control in India- Proceedings of a Workshop’. New Delhi. CSDS and CSMCH (JNU).  

Select Presentations

Methodological Challenges in Research on Well-Being and Caste in Workshop in Research Workshop on Caste and Wellbeing held on 16th September 2016 at CSRD, JNU. 

Rising Rates of Caesarean Sections in India: Voices from the Field, Presentation at the National Consultation on ‘Rising Caesarean Rates-A Cause for Concern’ organized by the UNICEF India, on the 12th and 13th of April 2016 at Hyderabad 

Stress in the time of ‘World-Class-ness’: Meanings of Wellbeing and Health among the Lower-Middle Class in Delhi, presented at the Peri-doctoral workshop organized by AROGYAM  Network

Advances in Research on Globally Accessible Medicine (Members: Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies of the Sri Chithra Thirunal University of Medical Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram, University of Edinburgh and Centre of Study of Social Systems and CSMCH, JNU) held at the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU between 15th and 17th February 2016 

Reflections on Health Swaraj and its Implications for Academic Research in Health, Background paper circulated at Ten Years of South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy (SADED) (Unpublished)  

Mainstreaming of AYUSH and Local Health Traditions in the Public Health Services- A Critical Evaluation, Note circulated at the Dialogue titled ‘Health Services Agenda, Post Election 2014’, South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy (SADED), 20-21 May 2014, IIC, New Delhi 

Innovations in Higher Education in the USA, UK and India at the African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town on 30th March at the Case Development Workshop organized by the African Centre for Cities and Indian Institute for Human Settlements 

Paper Presentation: Medical Care in AIDS at the First Workshop on Societal Concerns and Strategies for AIDS Control in India, organised by the Centre for Study of Developing Societies and the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU  

Participated and contributed technical inputs in the evaluation of the project, South Asian Dialogues for Ecological Democracy of the Vasudhaiva Kuttumbakkam, Centre for Study of Developing Societies, 2nd to 6th January 


Education

  • PhD Jawaharlal Nehru University, School of Social Sciences
  • MSc University of Edinburgh, Public Health Sciences Division, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
  • MPhil. Jawaharlal Nehru University
  • MA, Social Work, University of Delhi
  • BSc (Honors), Home Science, University of Delhi
Chris M. Kurian, PhD

SIT Study Abroad

Affiliated Faculty, India

INDIA: Public Health, Gender, and Sexuality

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