Jessica Dimka, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology Anthropology and Criminal Justice

I am a biological anthropologist who studies how social and biological factors lead to health outcomes and disparities.

My research focuses on the individual, social, cultural, and biological factors that contribute to the spread of epidemics within communities, with an emphasis on disparities in health outcomes. My current work is on the relationships or interactions between chronic health conditions, disabilities, and infectious diseases during both historical and modern-day epidemics and pandemics. The methods I use include quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and the use of ethnographic and historical records to build simulation models to test hypotheses about disease spread. I have previously taught anthropology at Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh. Before coming to Seton Hall, I lived in Norway for four years, where I was the co-leader of the Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society at Oslo Metropolitan University.