Assoc Prof Chen-I Kuan

About

Dr. Chen-I Kuan is a scholar of medical anthropology at the Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Public Health. Her interdisciplinary research explores the complex relationships between health, culture, and society, with particular attention to how lived experiences, social structures, and cultural meanings shape public health outcomes. Trained in qualitative research methods, Dr. Kuan employs ethnographic and community-based approaches to understand health behaviors beyond conventional biomedical frameworks.Her research interests include vaccine hesitation, gender, and the cultural dimensions of health and illness. Through close engagement with communities and everyday practices, she investigates how trust, identity, risk perception, and social inequality influence people’s responses to public health interventions. Dr. Kuan’s work highlights the importance of listening to diverse voices and understanding local contexts when addressing contemporary health challenges.By bridging medical anthropology and public health, Dr. Kuan contributes important perspectives on the human dimensions of healthcare and policy. Her scholarship emphasizes that effective health interventions require not only scientific evidence, but also cultural sensitivity, social understanding, and attention to the experiences of individuals and communities.