Research Interests

• Epidemiology and biostatistics
• Geospatial analysis
• Humanitarian emergencies
• Maternal and child health
• Mental health and psychosocial support

Education

• Boston College (PhD, Social Work)
• Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (MSPH; Population, Family, and Reproductive Health)
• Pennsylvania State University (BSc, Health Policy)
• Pennsylvania State University (BA, African Studies)

Biographical Statement

Cara Antonaccio joined the UNU Institute in Macau in November 2022. Her research is focused on health and development in conflict-affected communities using epidemiological and geospatial analysis methods to investigate the dynamics of complex humanitarian crises. She is currently working on a programme that examines the conflict-related and contextual drivers of attacks against humanitarian assistance, as well as the geospatial diffusion dynamics of attacks against aid workers, globally. In 2022, she earned a PhD from Boston College, where she studied mental health and psychosocial well-being in conflict-affected communities and among youth who were formerly affiliated with armed forces and groups in Sierra Leone. In 2018, she earned a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, where she conducted research evaluating the implementation of mental health and psychosocial support services for new mothers in conflict-affected regions of Uganda. Since joining the UNU Institute in Macau, Cara is increasingly motivated to conduct applied interdisciplinary research and to design data-driven tools to support health in humanitarian crises and communities affected by conflict.