Dr. Brunson is an applied anthropologist specializing in medical anthropology. Her primary research focus is health care access and decision-making in the United States, and particularly how political, economic and social structures (including class and racial/ethnic inequalities); social networks; and personal experience intersect to produce health outcomes for individuals and communities.
As an applied anthropologist, Dr. Brunson is also actively engaged in projects with real world application. She recently co-led CommuniVax, a national alliance of social scientists, public health experts, and community advocates seeking lasting improvements to health equity generally and, more particularly, to inequities in COVID-19 vaccination among Black and Hispanic/Latino communities across the US. In the past, she has partnered with organizations including Meals on Wheels Central Texas, the Hays County (Texas) food bank, and Vax Northwest (Seattle, WA).
Select Publications:
Brunson EK, Schoch-Spana M. 2024. Anthropology at speed, at scale, in action: The CommuniVax example. Annals of Anthropological Practice 49.
Sobo EJ, Brunson EK, McClure S, Cartwright E, Jordan M, Thomas SB, Schoch-Spana M. 2024. Adapting rapid research in an evolving emergency: Generalizable lessons in resilience. Annals of Anthropological Practice 49.
Long RA, Brunson EK. 2024. Developing and managing qualitative analysis protocol for a large-scale, multi-sited project. Annals of Anthropological Practice 49.
Carnes M, Brunson EK. 2024. Human centered design for applied anthropology. Annals of Anthropological Practice 49.
Brunson EK, Rhode RE, Fulton LV. 2023. College students’ willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Journal of American College Health 71(9):2804-2812.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/27261/chapter/1