About

Dr. Sarah E. Parkinson is the Aronson Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on organizational behavior and social change in contexts of war and disaster, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa. Parkinson studies how various actors, including military organizations, emergency response agencies, and humanitarian groups, adapt to crises, disruption, and fragmentation. She has conducted extensive fieldwork among Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as well as with humanitarian responders in Iraqi Kurdistan. Her current research project on the politics of emergency response and public safety has taken her to Turkey, Tunisia, and Qatar. Parkinson holds a Ph.D. (2013) and M.A. (2008) in Political Science from the University of Chicago and a B.A. (2004) in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has held fellowships at several prestigious institutions, including the Institute for Advanced Study at Northwestern University, Qatar, the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota, the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University, and Yale University's Program on Order, Conflict, and Violence. From 2017 to 2020, she conducted research on ethical communities of practice in crisis zones as part of the Exploration of Practical Ethics program at Johns Hopkins University’s Berman Institute of Bioethics. Between 2020 and 2023, Parkinson conducted fieldwork on emergency response and statebuilding in the Middle East supported by a Catalyst Award. In addition to her research, Parkinson teaches courses on Middle East politics, the politics of disaster, research methods and ethics, and political violence. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the Project on Middle East Political Science, a collaborative network aimed at enhancing the field and its engagement with academics, policy circles, and the public. She is also a co-founder of the Advancing Research on Conflict Consortium, which supports researchers conducting fieldwork in fragile and violence-affected environments. Outside of academia, Parkinson volunteers as an emergency medical technician.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Social Science
• Law
• Computer Science
• Public relations
• Epistemology
• Social psychology
• Psychology
• Computer Security
• Data science
• Engineering ethics
• Engineering

Selected publications

• Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria in Pregnancy Treated With Pegcetacoplan: Case Report and Pharmacokinetic Analysis

  eJHaem · 2025-11-19 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT There is an unmet clinical need for effective treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in pregnancy for patients with inadequate response to C5 inhibitors. We report the first case of pegcetacoplan use in pregnancy with accompanying pharmacokinetic analysis. In a patient with transfusion‐dependent anemia on eculizumab, third‐trimester initiation of pegcetacoplan led to hematological stabilization, transfusion independence, and an uncomplicated term cesarean delivery of a healthy infant. Pegcetacoplan was undetectable in cord blood and breast milk despite therapeutic maternal levels, suggesting fetal and neonatal safety due to lack of significant placental and lactational transfer, and advancing evidence for pegcetacoplan use in pregnancy. Trial Registration : The authors have confirmed clinical trial registration is not needed for this submission.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Maternal and fetal pharmacokinetics (PK) of pegcetacoplan in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH): A case report of use in pregnancy

  Blood · 2025-11-03 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background: PNH is a rare, life-threatening hematologic disorder that poses significant risks in pregnancy. Pegcetacoplan, a first-in-class C3 inhibitor, has superior efficacy in patients with persistent anemia on eculizumab but data in pregnancy are limited. We report the first case of pegcetacoplan use in pregnancy with accompanying PK data on placental and breast milk transfer, offering novel insights into the safety and feasibility of use of pegcetacoplan in pregnancy. Methods A 24-year-old woman was diagnosed with hemolytic PNH (95% PNH neutrophil clone) 5 years prior to her first pregnancy. She experienced transfusion-dependent anemia despite eculizumab. After trials of vemircopan and iptacopan, she was transitioned to pegcetacoplan 1080 mg subcutaneous 2x/week and achieved transfusion independence (hemoglobin ~110 g/L). Unplanned pregnancy occurred while on pegcetacoplan. Given lack of safety data, she was switched to eculizumab at 4 weeks gestational age (GA). Despite increased eculizumab dosing, she redeveloped transfusion-dependent anemia (2-3 units RBC/month) due to extravascular hemolysis (EVH). Following multidisciplinary consultation and shared decision-making, pegcetacoplan was reinitiated at 28 weeks GA. Maternal hematologic parameters and complement levels/activity were monitored throughout pregnancy and postpartum. PK sampling assessed drug transfer via maternal plasma pre- and post-delivery, cord blood, and breast milk. Quantitative analysis of pegcetacoplan concentrations was performed using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Results Following reinitiation of pegcetacoplan at 28 weeks GA, the patient had rapid hematologic improvement and achieved transfusion independence (hemoglobin 92-103 g/L in third trimester) with control of EVH. At 33 weeks GA, the decision was made to preventatively increase the dose of pegcetacoplan to 1080 mg 3x/week to mitigate risk of peripartum breakthrough hemolysis (BTH). Pregnancy was complicated by maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, and fetal growth above the 95th percentile. The patient elected to undergo a scheduled caesarean delivery at 37 weeks GA. She had an uncomplicated caesarean section and delivered a healthy male infant (weight 3.74 kg) with normal Apgar scores. Daily pegcetacoplan 1080 mg was administered on postpartum days (PPD) 0-3 to prevent BTH. Postpartum course was uncomplicated, with no BTH or thrombosis. Pegcetacoplan 1080 mg 3x/week was continued for 6 weeks postpartum, before returning to 2x/week regimen. The patient initially breastfed during the birth hospitalization but elected not to continue after discharge. The infant has demonstrated normal growth and development, with no complications observed at 6-month follow-up. Maternal plasma concentrations of pegcetacoplan remained within the expected therapeutic range, consistently near or exceeding the effective concentration for maximum hemoglobin response (EC99 = 597 μg/mL) on the day of delivery and across PPD 1-3. Pegcetacoplan was undetectable in all three cord blood samples (<10 μg/mL). Similarly, pegcetacoplan was not detected in breast milk, with concentrations below the lower limit of quantification (<20 μg/mL). Discussion This case provides the first PK data on pegcetacoplan use in pregnancy, demonstrating undetectable fetal/neonatal exposure despite sustained maternal drug levels in therapeutic range. These findings are consistent with preclinical non-human animal data and pegcetacoplan's physicochemical properties—a large, pegylated, and hydrophilic cyclic peptide, expected to have limited membrane permeability. In a patient with hemolytic PNH and inadequate hematologic response to eculizumab, conception on pegcetacoplan was not associated with adverse fetal/pregnancy outcomes, and third-trimester reinitiation resulted in rapid hematologic improvement, transfusion independence, and an uncomplicated peripartum course. In conclusion, this report provides the first clinical and PK evidence suggesting that third-trimester use of pegcetacoplan may be a viable treatment option in select pregnant patients with PNH with suboptimal response to C5 inhibitors. Limitations include the single-patient nature of this report and only 6 months of pediatric follow-up. Validation in larger cohorts is essential to support this use of pegcetacoplan and address the unmet need for expanded treatment options for PNH in pregnancy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring factors that shaped Syrian refugees integration into Lebanon’s national health system using Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework

  Conflict and Health · 2025-07-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, neighboring country Lebanon has hosted the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. To meet refugees' health care needs, Lebanon adopted an integrated model of care. This paper explores the key factors and events that have shaped the policy on the integration of Syrian refugees into the Lebanese national health system through a policy analysis. METHODS: The research team adopted a qualitative approach that employed in-depth interviews with 12 key informants (2 ministers, 4 non-governmental organizations, 3 advocacy group representatives, and 3 healthcare managers) and document review. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyze the data guided by the Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework. RESULTS: Problem factors that influenced Lebanese health policy towards Syrian refugees include the sheer number of refugees with urgent health care needs who entered a fragile, highly privatized health care system, and political and sectarian dissension around the refugee issue, both of which contributed to a slow government response. In the policy stream, international non-governmental organizations concerned with refugee health started to engage with local authorities. In December 2014, the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan strategy was issued by the government and various partners that iterated the strategy to respond to Syrian refugees' needs. Under the political stream, Lebanon's historical experience with Palestinian refugees, and specifically concerns regarding fear of domiciliation, influenced the unofficial implementation of a 'no camp policy' strategy at the onset of the crisis, which in turn shaped healthcare integration. Further, international non-governmental organizations joined efforts to fund and supplement health care services, while think tank policy organizations advocated for refugees right to healthcare and host community support. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the role of global actors, such as UNHCR, WHO among others, as the main entrepreneurs in integrating refugees into the Lebanese health care system. It also underscored the ad-hoc non-systematic approach with which the policies around refugee health response were made in Lebanon and the influence of political factors. Although the mutual benefits to both host and refugee communities were recognized, many challenges threaten integration, foremost among them the model's financial sustainability.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Integrating Syrian refugees into Lebanon’s healthcare system 2011–2022: a mixed-method study

  Conflict and Health · 2024-05-31 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: The Lebanese government estimates the number of Syrian refugees to be 1.5 million, representing 25% of the population. Refugee healthcare services have been integrated into the existing Lebanese health system. This study aims to describe the integration of Syrian refugee health services into the Lebanese national health system from 2011 to 2022, amid an ongoing economic crisis since 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This paper employs a mixed-methods approach drawing upon different data sources including: 1- document review (policies, legislation, laws, etc.); 2- semi-structured interviews with policymakers, stakeholders, and health workers; 3- focus group discussions with patients from both host and refugee populations; and 4- health systems and care seeking indicators. RESULTS: Although the demand for primary health care increased due to the Syrian refugee crisis, the provision of primary health care services was maintained. The infusion of international funding over time allowed primary health care centers to expand their resources to accommodate increased demand. The oversupply of physicians in Lebanon allowed the system to maintain a relatively high density of physicians even after the massive influx of refugees. The highly privatized, fragmented and expensive healthcare system has impeded Syrian refugees' access to secondary and tertiary healthcare services. The economic crisis further exacerbated limits on access for both the host and refugee populations and caused tension between the two populations. Our findings showed that the funds are not channeled through the government, fragmentation across multiple financing sources and reliance on international funding. Common medications and vaccines were available in the public system for both refugee and host communities and were reported to be affordable. The economic crisis hindered both communities' access to medications due to shortages and dramatic price increases. CONCLUSION: Integrating refugees in national health systems is essential to achieve sustainable development goals, in particular universal health coverage. Although it can strengthen the capacity of national health systems, the integration of refugees in low-resource settings can be challenging due to existing health system arrangements (e.g., heavily privatized care, curative-oriented, high out-of-pocket, fragmentation across multiple financing sources, and system vulnerability to economic shocks).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Future-Proofing Analysis of the 2017 EU AMR Action Plan

  European Journal of Public Health · 2024-10-28

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health concern and has been deemed a top priority amongst public health authorities internationally. AMR is a complex issue, which is affected by a wide range of diverse factors including antimicrobial use, vaccines, surveillance, climate change and global conflicts. In thinking about how to address AMR, it is important to not only consider how multiple factors interact to contribute to the issue, but also how these factors may develop in the future. In 2017, the European Commission published the European One Health Action Plan against AMR, which set out objectives and priory areas for actions across EU/EEA Member States. This presentation will discuss the results of a future proofing study of this Plan. The study included a series of scenarios for how AMR might develop over the next ten years, in order to gather stakeholder perspectives on how the Plan can be improved to mitigate against future risks, take advantage of future opportunities and move towards more favorable futures. In particular, this presentation will focus on how this futures method was used to arrive at specific and actionable recommendations about how to better prepare for the future of AMR.

  PublisherDOI

• Appendix B: Archival Materials and Methods

  Cornell University Press eBooks · 2023-10-13

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• 4. Beyond the Lines: Gendered Mobilization and Organizational Resilience in Militant Groups

  Cornell University Press eBooks · 2023-10-13

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• “It’s Just How Things Are Done”: Social Ecologies of Sexual Violence in Humanitarian Aid

  International Studies Quarterly · 2023-06-14 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Increasing research on the humanitarian sector examines how its organizational cultures affect both aid outcomes and humanitarian workers’ private lives. The #MeToo movement and several public scandals have brought to light patterns of sexual violence in crisis zones perpetrated by humanitarian aid workers; surveys suggest rates of sexual assault within the humanitarian community comparable to, if not higher than, those on US college campuses. How do the conditions that produce sexual violence persist in a sector governed by strong, mission-centric principles, professional codes of conduct, and oversight? This article uses participant observation in Iraq and Uganda, in-depth interviews, and textural analysis to examine the social origins of sexual violence in humanitarian communities. It builds on studies of aid organizations to argue that the humanitarian sector operates similarly to a “total institution” (Goffman 1961). Then, it draws upon recent work on sexual violence to demonstrate how within-sector social ecologies and informal socialization practices create the conditions of possibility for sexual violence. It identifies two key factors that constitute the emergency aid world—sexual scripts and projects, and sector-specific sexual geographies—and argues that they produce conditions that facilitate sexual violence while labeling them “just how things are done.”

  PublisherDOI

• Understanding social sciences, humanities and arts for people and the economy (SHAPE) R&D in the UK and internationally

  RAND Corporation eBooks · 2023-01-01

  bookOpen access

  We investigated how social sciences, humanities and arts for people and the economy (SHAPE) R&D is understood and captured in the UK economy and internationally, responding to concerns they are not captured in UK government definitions of business R&D. We used a mixed methods approach including literature reviews, interviews and data analysis across UK sectors and international comparators. We provided recommendations to rectify these issues.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Unreported Realities: The Political Economy of Media-Sourced Data

  American Political Science Review · 2023-11-21 · 18 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  What is the gap between scholars’ expectations of media-sourced data and the realities those data actually represent? This letter elucidates the data generation process (DGP) that undergirds media-sourced data: journalistic reporting. It uses semi-structured interviews with 15 journalists to analyze how media actors decide what and how to report—in other words, the “why” of reporting specific events to the exclusion of others—as well as how the larger professional, economic, and political contexts in which journalists operate shape the material scholars treat as data. The letter thus centers “unreported realities”: the fact that media-derived data reflect reporters’ locations, identities, capacities, and outlet priorities, rather than providing a representative sample of ongoing events. In doing so, it reveals variations in the consistency and constancy of reporting that produce unacknowledged, difficult-to-identify biases in media-sourced data that are not directionally predictable.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Erica S. Simmons

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  8 shared

• Elisabeth Jean Wood

  7 shared

• Carsten Q. Schneider

  4 shared

• Alan M. Jacobs

  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

  4 shared

• Scott J. Spitzer

  California State University, Fullerton

  4 shared

• Milli Lake

  4 shared

• Tasha Fairfield

  University of Oxford

  4 shared

• Leonardo R. Arriola

  4 shared

Education

• PhD, Political Science

  University of Chicago

  2013

• MA, Political Science

  University of Chicago

  2008

• BA, International Studies

  Johns Hopkins University

  2004

Awards & honors

• 2023 Routledge Lee Ann Fujii Award for Innovation in the Int…
• Honorable Mention for the 2023 Best Book on Middle East and…