Biography

Abigail Shepherd is a current Ph.D. student specializing in cultural and medical anthropology at the University of Central Florida. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Valdosta State University in 2016 and a M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida in 2022. Abigail is working under the advisement of Dr. Shana Harris, and her research interests include problematic drug use or “addiction,” treatment for problematic drug use, and public health policy and practice in the United States. Abigail’s master’s thesis examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment services for people who use drugs in the United States. Her dissertation research will focus on drug-related overdose prevention and mitigation efforts in central Florida.

Research Interests/Specializations:

• Drug use and “addiction”
• People who use drugs
• Health policy and practice