Hi! My name is Irene Groenevelt, and I am a postdoc at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. I am trained as a cultural anthropologist, and in Tilburg I am part of a research team that explores health practices from a philosophical-anthropological perspective.
My PhD project was about the body and embodiment in relation to persistent physical symptoms. It explored in what ways, and through what means, embodied experiences of persistent physical symptoms are rendered audible, visible, and palpable. The PhD defense will take place this Spring.
As a postdoc I work on WP4, which assesses the acceptance and adoption potential of 3D MR spirometry among practitioners and patients. I explore the meanings that (current uses of) medical imaging technologies acquire for patients; how they impact patient-practitioner relationships; and how they might bring about shifts in sociocultural perceptions and understandings of human bodies. My point of departure is that medical imaging technologies mediate how people make sense of themselves and their bodies, and that they reconfigure bodies in particular ways.
The fun part of my research is that I get to do ethnographic research at three field sites, those being Paris, Rotterdam, and Aberdeen. After having met everyone in-person during the consortium meeting in Paris, I can safely say that I am beyond excited to be part of such an inspiring group of people, and eager contribute to the project from a humanities perspective!
