Visiting Researcher at Stanford University (USA): Cristiani Machado shares her expectations
Published on: 29 August 2025
By Bruna Abinara. The original text is in Portuguese and can be found at https://informe.Ensp.fiocruz.br/noticias/56639.
Researcher at the National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca (ENSP/Fiocruz), Cristiani Vieira Machado has been selected to serve as a visiting researcher at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, United States. Recognised as one of the most prestigious interdisciplinary research centres in the world, CASBS brings together thinkers from diverse fields and communities to deepen understanding of the full spectrum of beliefs, behaviours, interactions, and institutions. Machado will join this group of scholars for an academic year in the US, from September 2025 to May 2026. She spoke to Informe ENSP about her expectations for the work she will carry out at the American university.
📸 Photo: Peter Illiciev
Machado explained that she had the opportunity to visit Stanford University in April 2024, when she took part in a panel discussion about contemporary challenges for education in the health sciences and the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), drawing on Fiocruz’s experience. “During that visit, I was very impressed with the university. The dynamism of the campus, the infrastructure, and the libraries. Later, I learned about this Centre for Advanced Studies, which has a highly interdisciplinary nature, bringing together researchers from various countries and fields such as sociology, political science, history, and economics, among others. This year, I submitted a proposal and was accepted as a Visiting Researcher,” she shared.
During her time at the university, Machado will conduct a study analysing the relationship between global health governance and changes in health policies and systems in selected Latin American countries (mainly Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina) from 2010 to 2025. The aim is to explore agendas and policies targeting health systems over the period and across contexts, bringing new insights and theoretical contributions. “In such a complex geopolitical scenario, the results may help inform policies that strengthen the capacity of the Brazilian State in the international arena and in policy implementation, contributing to health sovereignty, reducing inequalities, and ensuring health as a citizenship right,” she noted.
Over the past 12 years, Cristiani Machado has worked as a lecturer and researcher, as well as in institutional management roles, coordinating and teaching at the Department of Health Administration and Planning (Daps), leading the concentration area and later the overall coordination of the ENSP Public Health Programme, and serving as Vice-President for Education, Information and Communication at Fiocruz for more than six years. “I learned a great deal. It was intense, and we went through challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe this stay at Stanford will be an important period of immersion in studies, critical reflection, and interaction with researchers from other fields and countries, in an interdisciplinary environment, which is so crucial for those working in public health research and for responding to the challenges we face in Brazil, in science, and in health,” she reflected.
Beyond the research dimension, the professor highlighted the opportunity to “learn from the studies of other fellows and visiting researchers at the Centre (around 35 of them), and to interact with Stanford University faculty members.” According to Machado, it is important to take advantage of the experience to understand the institution’s functioning, academic dynamics, pedagogical processes, and perspectives on science. “All of this is learning that can positively inform my work as a researcher and lecturer, as well as my contributions to technical cooperation and possibly management, bringing benefits to ENSP and Fiocruz, and to fulfilling our institutional commitment to science and the SUS,” she stated.
For her, understanding the interactions between international and national determinants of policy, as well as the similarities and differences among countries, is essential to strengthening the SUS. “It is impossible to strengthen the school’s international engagement without a strong research line in Global Health and in comparative health policy and systems. This is key for ENSP and Fiocruz’s strategic positioning on the global stage, and for deepening knowledge about the health systems of our partner countries, to establish horizontal, consistent, long-term, and supportive scientific and technical collaborations. We cannot cooperate without knowing our counterparts,” she said.
Considering that ENSP already participates in international networks of Schools of Public Health and was recently recognised by PAHO as a Collaborating Centre for training professionals for health systems in the Americas, Machado’s project and professional experience at Stanford University may further strengthen ENSP’s international collaboration and partnerships.
“Fiocruz is an important actor in global health, with strong engagement in research, education, and international technical cooperation. ENSP/Fiocruz has a long-standing tradition of developing comparative studies and analyses in health systems and global health,” she noted. As pioneers in this field, Machado mentioned Paulo Buss, Celia Almeida, Ligia Giovanella, among other ENSP researchers and students who are currently dedicated to these topics. “I have worked for over 25 years researching health policies and systems in Brazil, coordinating a research group with Luciana Lima titled State, Social Protection, and Health Policies. Around 15 years ago, I began conducting comparative studies, especially with other Latin American countries, but we have also expanded to include research on Africa (particularly through cooperation with Mozambique) and the BRICS (a project currently coordinated by Adelyne Pereira),” she explained.
According to the professor, it is impossible to understand Brazil’s challenges without considering global geopolitical shifts and the dilemmas faced by countries of the Global South. For this reason, it is essential to deepen the analysis of health policies across multiple scales — from the global to the local.
Beyond research, Machado has taught, for nearly ten years, the course Analysis of Health Policies and Systems in Comparative Perspective alongside colleagues Ligia Giovanella, Isabela Santos, and Adelyne Pereira. She emphasised that the knowledge gained through her project at Stanford “will be integrated into this and other courses, as well as in the supervision of postgraduate students within this field.”
Machado also reflected on the challenges of spending an extended period abroad: “I know I’ll miss my family, friends, and my work at Fiocruz.” However, she stressed that the opportunity to dedicate more time to study and research, and to engage with scholars from different countries, disciplines, and topics, keeps her expectations high. She noted that the Centre has a strong tradition of research and analysis on crucial themes such as democracy, political regimes, public policies, organisational change, and qualitative research methodology. As an example, she cited a project addressing transformations in the “care society.” “I am looking forward to delving into these issues — studying, interacting, and learning,” she said.