Dr. Lisa Henry
Assistant Professor
Director of Graduate Programs
lisa.henry@unt.edu
940 565-4160

Lisa Henry’s research interests include globalization and health, indigenous healing systems, biomedicine and healthcare delivery, anthropology in public health, and Oceania. As an applied anthropologist, Lisa has worked a variety of projects in the past few years. She is currently collaborating with the VA hospital in Dallas, TX, to investigate issues of quality of life among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, she is working on a longitudinal project on Raivavae, French Polynesia, investigating globalization, food consumption and health, particularly obesity and its related diseases (with Jeanette Dickerson-Putman). Lisa’s recently completed projects include (1) investigating the retention of physician assistants in rural health care for the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Association of Physician Assistant Programs; (2) investigating explanatory models of the “flu” among daycare providers and implications for public health, in collaboration with the Denton County Health Department; and (3) conducting an assessment of the medical capacity and culture of HIV care in rural areas for an organization charged with educating and training HIV/ AIDS medical service providers.  Dr. Henry joined the anthropology faculty in 2002 and is dedicated to helping students understand the role that culture plays in our everyday lives.

Selected Consulting Projects

2006 Project titled “Ethnographic Assessment for the TX/OK AIDS Education and Training Center.”  Texas/Oklahoma AIDS Education and Testing Center (AETC)

2006 Project titled “Perceptions of Physical Activity among High Risks Groups for Type II Diabetes in Denton County, TX.”  Class project in partnership with the Denton County Health Department.

2006 Project titled “Conscientious Objector: An Exploration of the Antivaccination Movement in Denton County.”  Class project in partnership with the Denton County Health Department.

2005 Project titled “DAPEC – Community Assessment of End-of-Life Care.” Class project in partnership with Denton Area Partnership for the End-of Life Care.

2004 Project titled “West Nile Virus:  Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Seniors in Denton County, Texas.”  Class project in partnership with the Denton County Health Department.

2004 Project titled “Influenza is Stronger Than the Flu” Perceptions and Understanding of Flu, Influenza, and Infection Control Among Daycare Providers.”  Class project in partnership with the Denton County Health Department. 

Education

1999 Ph.D., Anthropology, Southern Methodist University

1996 M.A., Anthropology, Southern Methodist University

1991 B.S., Anthropology, Southern Methodist University

1991 B.A., Psychology, Southern Methodist University 

Selected Publications

2007 Henry, Lisa and Rodrick Hooker.  What Contributes to PA Retention in Rural Texas?  To be published in early spring by the Journal of Rural Health.

2007 Henry, Lisa and Ann Jordan.  Field Projects and the Dilemma of Distance. Practicing Anthropology 29(1):pp. TBA.

2006 Henry, Lisa, Jessica Gullion, and Janet Macpherson. An Examination of the Benefits of Qualitative Research in Public Health.  Texas Public Health Association Journal 58(1):4-6.

2004 Expressions of Tahitian Identity.  In Rethinking Revitalization, Michael Harkin, ed. The University of Nebraska Press, pp. 247-260.

2002 Henry, Lisa, Roderick Hooker and Michel Statler.  Physician Assistant Students and Their Cadavers:  Narratives on the Gross Anatomy Experience.  Perspectives on Physician Assistant Education 13(1):17-23. 

2007 From Fish and Taro to Frozen Chicken and Rice:  Food, Power and Globalization on Raivavae.  Paper to be presented at continuing session at the annual meeting of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania.  February 2007, Charlottesville, VA

2006 Conscientious Objectors and the Antivaccination Movement: Collaboration of Public Health and Anthropology.  Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association. November 2006, San Jose, CA.

2006 What Contributes to Physician Assistant Retention in Rural Communities? Poster presented at the American Academy of Physician Assistant Annual Conference.  Co-authored by Roderick S. Hooker.   May 2006, San Francisco, CA.

2006 Time Flies When You’re Practicing Anthropology.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology.  March/April 2006, Vancouver, BC.

2006 From Fish and Taro to Frozen Chicken and Rice:  Food, Power and Globalization on Raivavae.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania.  February 2006, San Diego, CA.