Strengthening the humanity and dignity of people in crises through evidence and learning
Faculty and Researchers
Anastasia MarshakResearch Assistant Professor
Research Assistant Professor, Friedman School
Click here to read Anastasia’s Young Scholar Profile.
Anastasia Marshak’s research at Feinstein aims to make humanitarian programming more appropriate and impartial by showing the value of and advocating for more data- and evidence-driven approaches. Her main body of work focuses on improving the field’s understanding of the drivers of malnutrition in complex contexts. As part of this she develops and applies improved methods to identify those drivers. Anastasia also supports improved programming in the areas of early marriage and the long-term impact of conflict on livelihoods and access to services applying a variety of methods, including program evaluations. Recently, Anastasia studied the effects of human rights abuses that took place during attacks on IDP camps in northern Uganda as part of a trial for the International Criminal Court (ICC). In addition to her research, Anastasia teaches introductory and intermediate statistics at the Friedman School.
Anastasia has expertise in quantitative analysis, research design, and nutrition. Prior to joining Feinstein, Anastasia worked for the MIT Poverty Action Lab and the World Bank in Sierra Leone.
She holds a B.S. in quantitative economics and international relations from Tufts University and an M.A. in economics from Boston University. She holds a Ph.D. from the Friedman School of Nutrition in the Food Policy and Nutrition Program, with a focus on humanitarian assistance.
- Statistical Methods for Nutrition Science and Policy (NUTR207), Fall Term
- Statistical Methods for Health Professionals I (NUTB250), Fall Term
- Statistical Methods for Health Professionals II (NUTB350), Spring Term
- Anastasia Marshak, Gwenaelle Luc, Anne Radday, and Helen Young. 2021. “Seasonality of acute malnutrition and its drivers: a case study from eastern Chad” Field Exchange.
- Anastasia Marshak, Aishwarya Venkat, Helen Young, and Elena Naumova. 2021. “How Seasonality of Malnutrition is Measured and Analyzed.” International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health 18(4).
- Anastasia Marshak, Helen Young, Anne Radday, and Elena Naumova. 2020. “Sustained Impact of a Multi-Sectoral Intervention on Child Nutrition Two Years after Program Completion.” Maternal and Child Nutrition.
- Anastasia Marshak, Helen Young, Anne Radday, and Elena Naumova. 2020. “Sensitivity of Nutrition Indicators to Measure the Impact of a Multi-Sectoral Intervention: Cross-sectional, Household, and Individual Level Analysis.” International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health 17(9).
News Items
Feinstein faculty and researchers publish three articles in Field Exchange
Feinstein International Center faculty and researchers published three articles in May issue of the Field Exchange. Click here to download the full issue. Merry Fitzpatrick et al’s article, “Kwashiorkor –…
Read MoreAnastasia Marshak et al publish about seasonality of malnutrition in the IJER
Anastasia Marshak, Aishwarya Venkat, Helen Young, and Elena Naumova published “How Seasonality of Malnutrition Is Measured and Analyzed” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This article…
Read MoreFeinstein Research Projects
Early Marriage in Conflict and Displacement
Our latest research shows that we do not know enough about early marriage to design programs and policies that effectively support female youth in the ways that they need. This study is generating the evidence humanitarians need.
Read MoreApolou: Understanding the poor’s interactions with market systems and international programming
Feinstein’s work as part of the Apolou project seeks to understand the impacts over time of a shift to an increasingly cash-based economy on different wealth, livelihood, and demographic groups.
Read MoreFeinstein Publications
Circumscribed Lives: Separated, Divorced, and Widowed Female Youth in South Sudan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Very little is known about the experiences of female youth who marry under 18 and later become separated, divorced, or widowed. This briefing paper underscores the unique vulnerabilities and challenges that these youth face in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and South Sudan.
Read MoreThe Cost of Being Female: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support of Displaced Female Youth in South Sudan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
This briefing paper outlines the situation of displaced female youth—unmarried, married, divorced, widowed—from a mental health and psychosocial functioning (MHPSS) lens.
Read More