Leonardo W Heyerdahl

Medical anthropology – Unité Anthropologie et Écologie de Maladies Émergentes, Département Santé Globale, Institut Pasteur

I focus on understanding discourses, silences and the dynamics of trust surrounding a diverse range of health interventions, including vaccination. With a decade of international experience, my work relies on hybrid approaches, merging online social media analysis, traditional ethnographic methods such as observations and interviews, and survey-based research.

Collaborating with dedicated teams, we navigate the complexities of public health issues including disease perception, preventive practices, antibiotic usage, vaccine hesitancy, and refusal. Our aim is not to shape attitudes, but to unveil population concerns, humanize interventions, and promote meaningful dialogue. The blend of social listening tools, ethnographic research, and surveys allows us to comprehensively understand public sentiment across multiple sociocultural contexts.

The heart of my work lies in the integration of academic theory, data-driven solutions, and active community engagement. I am committed to fostering dialogue, bringing to light the concerns and perspectives of the populations we engage with. This strategy aims to bridge understanding gaps, build trust in health initiatives, and contributes to the collective resilience and well-being of communities through knowledge and mutual understanding.

I have a PhD in Social Sciences from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, an Msc in Sociology from Université Caen Basse Normandie, an Msc in Humanitarian and cultural project management from Université Aix-Marseille. Additionally, I have doctoral training in Text Mining from Université de Lyon and am currently enrolled in a Sorbonne certified Data Science degree.