Our Chinese Studies member Alicia Ng will join the Academy of Finland CoE: Multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research project as a researcher under Salla Sariola, who is PI for the sociological part of the project. Other researchers leading the project are: Virta Marko (University of Helsinki, UH), Hiltunen Teppo (University of Turku), Kantele Anu (UH), and Mustonen Ville (UH).
Alicia Ng is a PhD candidate in the interdisciplinary environmental sciences program (DENVI) at UH. Her research is concentrated on electronic waste (e-waste) in China, specifically bioremediation techniques to investigate non-human interactions amongst media and soil ecologies. This project is a continuation of her Master’s thesis on the politics of e-waste in China from non-human ontological perspectives. She holds a Master of Science degree in World Politics from the UH, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London (United Kingdom), and a Bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from Whitman College (United States). Her research interests include changes in understandings of humanity and the environment in the Anthropocene, and the interrelations between technology, environment, and society.
Because the rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance is a complex problem, fighting it effectively requires a broad, multidisciplinary approach. The development and global spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria has become a severe threat to both public and animal health. Antimicrobial resistance jeopardises our ability to treat bacterial infections, cure cancer and perform advanced surgery. The Multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research will take a comprehensive approach to understanding the big picture of antimicrobial resistance from a “One Health” perspective that incorporates humans, animals and the environment.