Alexandra Vinson

Alexandra Vinson, PhD

Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences
Director of the Medical Education Scholars Program
Accepting HILS PhD Students? Yes
Accepting PIBS Students? No

Biography

Alexandra H. Vinson is Assistant Professor of Learning Health Sciences. Her research examines how medical education evolves in response to changes in the organization and delivery of healthcare and the structure of the medical profession. She uses qualitative research methods, specifically ethnographic field methods, in her studies of work and educational settings. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology & Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University.

Areas of Interest

Research and scholarly interests: Innovative health delivery and medical education systems; curriculum development and change; knowledge, practice, and culture

Subject matter expertise: Ethnographic field methods, medical sociology, sociology of professions, science and technology studies

Published Articles or Reviews

  • Sargent, Adam, Alexandra H. Vinson & Reed Stevens (2021). “Sensing Defects: Collaborative Seeing in Engineering Work.” Social Studies of Science. DOI: 10.1177/0306312721991919.
  • Vinson, Alexandra H. (2021). “Putting the Network to Work: Learning Networks in Rapid Response Situations.” Learning Health Systems, DOI: 10.1002/lrh2.10251.
  • Vinson, Alexandra H. & Kelly Underman (2020). “Clinical Empathy as Emotional Labor in Medical Work.” Social Science & Medicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112904
  • Vinson, Alexandra H. (2020). “Surgical Identity Play: The Anatomy Lab Revisited.” Symbolic Interaction, DOI: 10.1002/SYMB.465.
  • Vinson, Alexandra H. (2019). “Short White Coats: Knowledge, Identity and Status Negotiations of First-year Medical Students.”Symbolic Interaction. DOI: 10.1002/SYMB.400.
  • Vinson, Alexandra H. (2016). “Constrained Collaboration: Empowerment Discourse as a Resource for Countervailing Power.” Sociology of Health & Illness, 38(8):1364-1378.