Dr. Hedges is an associate professor of anthropology at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.  She is an applied medical anthropologist with a focus on using community-based ethnographic research approaches to understand local cultural construction of health, illness, and risk. Her research interests are linked to gender inequality and health; including substance use, HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, health emergencies, and traditional medicinal knowledge. Dr Hedges received her MA in Applied Anthropology from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona.  She publishes to a broad, interdisciplinary audience through journals such as: Journal of Ethnobiology, Journal of Youth Studies, Anthropology & Medicine, and Human Organization.