Dr Mark Lamont

Research interests

Mark's research explores the interplay between culture, politics, and health in global development. His work engages two main areas: (a) the politics of global health, particularly how biomedical knowledge, ethics, and power shape interventions and policies; and (b) the relationships between cultural heritage and development, with a focus on ocean health, blue economy, and the transformation of maritime communities. 

He is also engaged in writing a book about male circumcision in Kenya from early missionary efforts to control indigenous sexuality to ongoing medical male circumcision campaigns to prevent HIV. His interest is understanding how race, identity, and sexuality link these histories.  

Teaching interests

Mark is currently Postgraduate Convenor for Development Policy and Practice (DPP) and involved with PhD recruitment. In line with this, I am Pathway Lead (DPP) for the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership.

He has also been a module team author on our MSc in Global Development, taking an active role in DD870 Understanding Global Development(Chair), DD871 Key Challenges in Global Development, as well as contributing to DD872 Researching Global Development, the dissertation module.

Mark also authored for the Open Learn taster, Introducing Key Global Development Challenges. 

He is also author on two Undergraduate modules: an L2 D229 Introducing Global Development : Poverty, Inequality, Sustainability; and an L3 which is still in production D329 Investigating Global Development. 

Impact and engagement

Mark has led and collaborated on several research and engagement projects connecting academic research with public, community, and policy audiences.

• Consensus ≠ Consent: Global health science and the medicalisation of male circumcision in Kenyan history
  Project Lead. Wellcome Trust Medical Humanities Fellowship Discretionary Award (Oct 2018 – Sept 2019). £118,017.
  This project examined how medical and scientific rationales for male circumcision in Kenya intersect with cultural meanings, histories, and community debates around health, consent, and bodily autonomy.

• MUCH to Discover at Mida Creek: Creating pathways to community resilience and sustainable development through the maritime cultural landscape in Kenya
  Co-Investigator. With Caesar Mbita (National Museums of Kenya, Principal Investigator) and Wes Forsyth (University of Ulster). Funded by the Rising from the Depths Research Network, Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). £118,976 (Jan 2018 – Dec 2020).
  This interdisciplinary project explored how cultural heritage, particularly maritime landscapes, can serve as a foundation for community-led development and resilience in coastal Kenya.

News & Public Engagements

Research at the Open University new item, 'New research into how Kenyan communities view medical male circumcision'

IDII news item, 'Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: It's never just a snip' 

Kristeligt Dagblad, 'WHO vil bekæmpe hiv med omskæring'