Dr Kevin Deane

Professional biography

I joined the OU Economics Discipline as a Senior Lecturer in January 2021. Prior to this, I was a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Global Public Health at Queen Mary University of London, and a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in International Development at the University of Northampton. I have a PhD in Economics from SOAS, University of London, a MSc in Development Economics, and a BA in Economics and International Development (also SOAS). I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Research interests

I am an interdisciplinary specialist in Development Economics, Political Economy and Global Health. My research interests focus on the social determinants and political economy of health with a focus on infectious diseases in Eastern and Southern Africa. These include HIV, COVID-19 and Malaria. I have worked on a range of topics related to HIV including gender, migration, workplace programmes, HIV testing and the relationship between socio-economic status and HIV. I am primarily a qualitative researcher with experience of conducting fieldwork in East Africa.

Current research projects as of November 2023:

• The Social Determinants of Malaria, partnering with David Musoke (Makerere University School of Public Health) and Edwinah Atusingwize (Makerere University School of Public Health). This is an Open Societal Challenge Addressing the Social Determinants of Malaria in Africa: a Ugandan Case Study (open.ac.uk)
• The Colonial Nature of Cash Transfers applied to HIV prevention, collaborating with Julia Chukwuma (OU), Sara Stevano (SOAS), Daniel Nyato (QMUL) and Seye Ambimbola (Sydney)
• Understanding attitudes, countering stigma and cultivating empathy to tackle poverty and inequality, with Keetie Roelen (PI), Julia Chukwuma and Thais DeCarvalho-R-Lopes (all OU) Understanding attitudes, countering stigma and cultivating empathy to tackle poverty and inequality (open.ac.uk)

Teaching interests

I have extensive experience of teaching face-to-face and online. I have previously taught a wide range of Development Economics and International Development modules, and I also have expertise in teaching the History of Economic Thought.

I have edited (with Elisa van Waeyenberge, SOAS) a new textbook published in April 2020 titled ‘Recharting the History of Economic Thought’. This textbook takes and innovate, thematic approach to the subject with the aim of promoting pluralist economics education.

PhD Supervision

I am open to supervising PhD students on the following topics:

• Any aspect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in East and Southern Africa that takes a social science/political economy perspective. For example:
  • The role of Poverty/Wealth in the epidemic
  • Gender and Women’s Economic Empowerment
  • Inequalities in access to treatment
  • Living and Working with HIV
  • The Economic and Social impact of the epidemic
  • Migration
• Critical perspectives on:
  • Cash Transfers and Health
  • Microfinance and Health
• Political economy approaches to understanding health issues in sub-Saharan Africa

Current PhD students:

Daniel Nyato (Queen Mary, University of London), working title “Understanding the influence of increasing persecution and hostility on delivery of and access to HIV services among men who have sex with men in Tanzania”, commenced October 2019, 

External collaborations

Professional Associations

I am the International Initiative for the Promotion of Political Economy (IIPPE) Teaching Political Economy Working Group co-coordinator (with  Lorena Lombardozzi).