Education

• Ph.D., Anthropology, McMaster University, 2013
• M.A., Anthropology, Louisiana State University, 2006
• B.A., Anthropology, University of Alaska Anchorage, 2003
  • Minor in Journalism

Biography

Dr. Carraher is an applied medical anthropologist. She studies health and illness experiences among the peoples of the Alaskan and Canadian north. Much of her work is community-based and multi-displinary; bringing community members together with health providers, scientists, and policy makers to do research that leads to real-world action. Dr. Carraher emphasizes doing research to help improve health and wellness as envisioned by community members for themselves. Dr. Carraher also works as the Ethnographic Fieldwork Lead for the Canadian North Helicobacter pylori (CANHelp) Working Group (www.canhelpworkinggroup.ca) and is a long-time volunteer with Bean’s Cafe, in Anchorage, Alaska. Her current research focuses on the socio-cultural aspects of H. pylori bacterial infection in the Arctic; and homelessness in Alaska. 

Teaching Responsibilities

Undergraduate Courses:

• ANTH A200 Natives of Alaska
• ANTH A202 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH A250 Rise of Civilization
• ANTH A415 Applied Anthropology
• ANTH A455 Medical Anthropology
• ANTH A490 Contemporary Arctic Studies

Graduate Courses:

• ANTH A602 Cultural Anthropology Proseminar
• ANTH A615 Advanced Applied Anthropology
• ANTH A655 Advanced Medical Anthropology

Professional & Department Service

• Since 2005: American Anthropological Association:       
  • Society for Medical Anthropology                                                    
  • Society for Humanistic Anthropology                           
  • National Association for the Practice of Anthropology
• Since 2005: American Association of Physical Anthropologists (lifetime member)
• Since 2008: Alaska Anthropological Association (lifetime member)
• Since 2011: Arctic Institute of North America (lifetime member)
• Since 2012: Society for Applied Anthropology
• Since 2013: United Academics-UNAC (labor union) 
• Since 2013: Consortium of Practicing and Applied Anthropologists (CoPAA) (Secretary)
• Peer-reviewer for Arctic Journal, International Journal of Circumpolar Health, International Journal of Indigenous Health
• Editor for the Alaska Anthropological Association quarterly newsletter

Research Interests

• Ethnography
• applied anthropology
• Arctic and subarctic peoples and cultures
• cultural epidemiology
• demography
• kinship studies
• food anthropology
• health anthropology
• the sociocultural meanings of “homelessness”

Publications

Peer-review articles

2016: Christensen J, Arnfjord S, Hedwig T, and Carraher S. “Homelessness Across Alaska, The Canadian North, and Greenland: A Review of the Literature on an Emerging Social Phenomenon in the Circumpolar North.” (forthcoming)

2016: Colquhoun A, Carraher S, Keelan M, Koe BL, Edwards PD,Fletcher C, Goodman KJ, and the CANHelp Working Group. “Learning from One Another: The Dissemination of Microbiology Research Results in Indigenous Arctic Community through a Joint Community-University Knowledge Exchange Project” (forthcoming).

2013: Carraher S, Chang HJ, Munday R, Goodman K, & and the CANHelp Working Group. “H. pylori Incidence and Re-Infection in the Aklavik H. pylori Project. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2013(72, Supplement):21594.

http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/21594

Edited volumes

2011: Herring, DA and Carraher, S (eds). From Miasma to Microscopes: The Russian Influenza in Hamilton. Hamilton: Department of Anthropology, McMaster University

2010: Herring, DA and Carraher, S (eds). Recurrence and Resilience: The Third Wave of the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic in Hamilton. Hamilton: Department of Anthropology, McMaster University

Published abstracts

2013: Carraher S. “Problems with the Epidemiologic Transition Model: Structural Inequality, H. pylori Bacteria, and Stomach Diseases in Aklavik, NWT.” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 72(Suppl 1):742-3

2013: Colquhoun A, Carraher S, Papik R, Moses MJ, Edwards J, Munday R, Keelan M, van Zanten S, Goodman KJ, and the CANHelp Working Group. “Community-Driven Research in Northern Canada: Local Visual Representations of a Health Research Project on Helicobacter pylori.” Helicobacter. 2013(18, suppl 1):105

2012: Carraher S, Colquhoun A, Goodman KJ, Koe BL, Edwards PD, and M Keelan. “Community-Driven Research on H. pylori Infection: Making Microbiology Data Meaningful in Indigenous Arctic Communities.” ArcticNet 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings

Research notes

2014: Carraher S and KJ Goodman. “Addressing Inuit health concerns through participatory and collaborative research: the Helicobacter pylori project in the ISR.” ISIR Annual Report, Kue Young, editor.

Reports

2016: Carraher S, Allen B, Billiet R, DeBois C, Dixon D, Johnson N, Kay K, King R, Oliva J, Perez E, Rapoza J, Sikora E, Smith O, and A Taitt. “Anchorage Sister Cities: An Ethnographic Research Project with Recommendations.” ANTH415/615 student research report to the Anchorage Sister Cities Commission, submitted May 18

2014: Bost M, Ekstrom H, Fox S, Johnson H, Mattey S, Mitchell E, and Carraher S. “Bean’s Café Needs and Referral Assessment.” ANTH415/615 student research report to Bean’s Café, submitted May 25

2013: Carraher S. “Aklavik H. pylori Project: 2013 Update.” Report to the Aklavik Health Committee,  submitted Aug. 7

2012: Carraher S and Kerr S. “Play with Your Food!: Promoting Fun and Healthy Cooking in Aklavik.” Report to the Aklavik Indian Band and Nutrition North, submitted Sept. 17

2012: Carraher S. “Aklavik H. pylori Project: 2011-2012 Update.” Community newsletter, submitted May 28