The award provides a one-year position and supports the development of a PhD project. It is handed out to the team consisting of the pre-doc candidate Marta Santos Mariz, the postdoc researcher Caroline Meier zu Biesen, and the Heisenberg-Professor Claudia Lang, who develop the project.
The project is titled “Endometriosis: Sex/Gender-Specific Health and the Experience of Living With an Ignored Disease”.
Project description: Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory disease wherein tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere. This life-limiting condition is characterised by incapacitating pain, stigma, delays in diagnosis, and oftentimes, reproductive issues. Effecting around 10% of people with uteruses worldwide, it’s one of the most common diseases; albeit the aetiology and cure remain unknown. Insufficient biomedical investment into endometriosis is part of a broader constellation of historical, cultural, and political issues dealing with gender and health. Through these facets, our planned doctoral project aims to ethnographically analyse the relationship between the disease, infertility and assisted reproductive technologies. This research will offer a qualitative perspective on experiences of living with endometriosis, while shedding critical light on systemic aspects which contribute to its neglect.