Experts on countries of origin by country

Simone Elyse Carter is a public health and humanitarian expert with over 15 years of experience in outbreak analytics, research coordination, and strategic leadership. She currently serves as the Lead for Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) at UNICEF, providing technical guidance and capacity strengthening for emergency response efforts worldwide.

Throughout her career, Simone has played a key role in developing data-driven solutions for complex health crises, leading interdisciplinary teams, and fostering global partnerships. Her work has included chairing the IOA working group under the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and overseeing systematic research dissemination to improve outbreak response strategies.

Previously, Simone managed the Integrated Analytics Cell (CAI) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she contributed to the development of evidence-based response mechanisms during public health emergencies. Her expertise spans epidemiology, humanitarian coordination, and policy development, making her a vital resource in advancing data-informed decision-making in crisis contexts.

Patricia Foxen is a cultural anthropologist with 30 years of experience working in academic, policy and program contexts with Latino immigrant and refugee populations in the U.S. and Canada. She has written extensively about Central American migration and indigenous communities and is the author of the book In Search of Providence: Transnational Mayan Identities (Vanderbilt University Press, 2008; updated edition, 2020), as well as numerous peer-reviewed articles and major reports.  Dr. Foxen served for 14 years as Deputy Director of Research at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., where she oversaw data-driven policy-oriented research, directed and published community-based research on the integration and well-being of Latino youth and families, and communicated findings to external audiences such as policy makers, media outlets, practitioners and universities. Dr. Foxen has taught at Vanderbilt University and the University of Toronto, has been a visiting fellow at Yale University and American University, and is a frequent guest lecturer. She has served on boards and advisory bodies including the Population Reference Bureau, Child Trends Hispanic Institute Advisory Council, the… Read more

Anastasiia Mykolenko is a Ukrainian anthropologist and legal professional specializing in forced displacement, refugee reception, and protection in Eastern Europe. Based in Montréal, she is completing a PhD in Anthropology at the Université de Montréal and holds advanced degrees in European and international law. Her research and consulting work focus on how people navigate war, borders, and bureaucratic systems, with extensive fieldwork along the Polish–Ukrainian border and engagement in Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. She has worked as a Senior Analyst & Fieldwork Coordinator on multi-country projects related to displacement and gender-based violence, and as a Protection Assistant with an international NGO at the Polish–Ukrainian border.

Anastasiia combines country-of-origin knowledge with strong analytical and writing skills, producing clear, evidence-based reports for NGOs, donors, and institutional partners. She has hands-on experience with refugee and asylum issues, including community-based legal support in Montréal, and in-depth expertise on vulnerable and marginalized groups such as Roma/Romani communities, women at risk, LGBTQI+ persons, and human rights defenders. She works in English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish (and… Read more

I am a specialist in the history and anthropology of West Africa, especially related to conflict, gender-based violence, and traditional harmful practices. For the past 17 years I have lived and worked across West Africa, in particular Liberia and Ghana, as well as Benin, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire. Since 2019 I have worked as the Director of an Oxfordshire-based research company, Résolu Ltd. Prior to this, I held positions as Assistant Professor in Gender Violence at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Tutor in Gender, Geography & Environment at University of Oxford, and various other roles related to gender-based violence research in West Africa. My work has been published in Routledge, Third World Quarterly, and Democracy In Africa. I completed my DPhil at University of Oxford School of Geography and the Environment in 2016.