About
Fátima Gauna is a PhD candidate at the École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP), where her doctoral research is co-supervised by Jocelyn Raude and Jeremy Ward. Trained in social health psychology (Master 2, Aix-Marseille Université) and clinical psychology (Licence, Universidad Nacional de Asunción), she works at the intersection of health psychology and public health.
Her research addresses vaccine hesitancy and vaccine confidence, the social experience of vaccine adverse events, and the transmission of health information within families, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative social-science methods.
Education
- 2018 — Master 2 in Social Health Psychology, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU). Thesis: “Genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers: role and complexity of gender dynamics” (18/20).
- 2015 — Licence in Clinical Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Thesis: “Psychological characteristics of high-performance swimmers” (5/5).
Experience
Professional experience
- 2023–2026 — Doctoral researcher (contractual PhD), École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP). Co-supervisors: Jocelyn Raude and Jeremy Ward. Statistical analysis; scientific writing.
- 2021–2022 — Research engineer, Observatoire Régional de Santé PACA (ORS-PACA). Supervisor: Pierre Verger (director, ORS-PACA). Statistical analysis; scientific writing.
- 2022 — Teaching assistant (adjunct), Aix-Marseille Université. Supervisor: Bouchra Zouri. Social psychology tutorials (L1, 24h; L2, 20h).
- 2020–2021 — Field investigator, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM). Supervisor: Marine Mosnier (Covid-Homeless project coordinator). Cohort inclusions for the Covid-Homeless study (rapid testing [TROD] and questionnaires).
- 2019–2021 — Research engineer, CanBios (SESSTIM–INSERM–AMU). Supervisor: Julien Mancini (head of the CANBIOS team). Qualitative interview analysis; scientific writing; support with administrative documents; literature monitoring.
Internships and early experience
- 2017–2018 (Master 2) — Research intern, CanBios (SESSTIM–INSERM–AMU). Supervisor: Julien Mancini (5 months).
- 2017–2018 (Master 2) — Clinical psychology intern, Espace Santé (AP-HM). Supervisor: Aurore Lamoureux (5 months).
- 2016–2017 (Master 1) — Psychology intern, Association de Dialyse Provence Corse. Supervisor: Vanesa Pezé (4 months).
- 2014–2015 — Psychological assessment assistant, Policlínica Municipal de Asunción.
Publications
Peer-reviewed articles
- Gauna, F., Raude, J., Khouri, C., Cracowski, J.L. & Ward, J.K. (2025). Exploring the relationship between experience of vaccine adverse events and vaccine hesitancy: A scoping review. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 21(1), 2471225.
- Dionne, M., Sauvageau, C., Ward, J.K., Sylvain-Morneau, J., Gauna, F., Doggui, R. & Dubé, È. (2025). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and perceived post-vaccination adverse event: Findings from a cross-sectional survey. Vaccine, 62, 127529.
- Ward, J.K., Cortaredona, S., Touzet, H., Gauna, F. & Peretti-Watel, P. (2024). Explaining political differences in attitudes to vaccines in France: partisan cues, disenchantment with politics, and political sophistication. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 49(6), 961–988.
- Gagneux-Brunon, A., Botelho-Nevers, E., Verger, P., Gauna, F., Launay, O. & Ward, J.K. (2024). Change in self-perceived vaccine confidence in France after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign: A cross-sectional survey in the French general population. Health Policy and Technology, 13(1), 100812.
- Gauna, F., Verger, P., Fressard, L., Jardin, M., Ward, J.K. & Peretti-Watel, P. (2023). Vaccine hesitancy about the HPV vaccine among French young women and their parents: a telephone survey. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1–10.
- Gauna, F., Carof, S., Mouret-Fourme, E., Coupier, I., Mari, V., Moretta-Serra, J., Mancini, J., Noguès, C. & Bouhnik, A.D. (2023). Links between gender norms and the intergenerational transmission of health information in parents carrying BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. Journal of Genetic Counseling.
- Ward, J.K., Gauna, F., Deml, M.J., MacKendrick, N. & Peretti-Watel, P. (2023). Endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and vaccine attitudes: A representative cross-sectional study in France. Social Science & Medicine, 115952.
- Khouri, C., Larabi, A., Verger, P., Gauna, F., Cracowski, J.L. & Ward, J.K. (2023). Exploring the feelings of being at risk of vaccine related adverse effects: A cross-sectional survey in France. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 111433.
- Gagneux-Brunon, A., Botelho-Nevers, E., Verger, P., Gauna, F., Launay, O. & Ward, J.K. (2023). Impact of the health pass on French people’s confidence in vaccines in general. Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses Formation, 2(2), S25.
- Khouri, C., Larabi, A., Verger, P., Gauna, F., Cracowski, J.L. & Ward, J. (2022). Impact of Vaccine Hesitancy on Onset, Severity and Type of Self-reported Adverse Events: A French Cross-Sectional Survey. Drug Safety, 1–8.
- Khouri, C., Larabi, A., Verger, P., Gauna, F., Ward, J. & Cracowski, J.L. (2022). Impact of vaccine hesitancy on onset and severity of adverse events. Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology, 61–62.
- Ward, J.K., Gauna, F., Gagneux-Brunon, A., Botelho-Nevers, E., Cracowski, J.L., Khouri, C., Launay, O., Verger, P. & Peretti-Watel, P. (2022). The French health pass holds lessons for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. Nature Medicine, 1–3.
- Gauna, F., Bendiane, M.K., Aim, M.A., Rousseau, F., Rey, D., Lecourtois, D., Bonnet, N., Durand, M.A., Tallet, A. & Mancini, J. (2022). Lived experience and perceived advantages of therapeutic de-escalation: A qualitative study of older patients with breast cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology.
- Verger, P., Peretti-Watel, P., Gagneux-Brunon, A., Botelho-Nevers, E., Sanchez, A., Gauna, F., Fressard, L., Bonneton, M., Launay, O. & Ward, J.K. (2021). Acceptance of childhood and adolescent vaccination against COVID-19 in France: a national cross-sectional study in May 2021. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 1–7.
- Gauna Cristaldo, F.B., Touzani, R., Apostolidis, T., Mouret-Fourme, E., Stoppa-Lyonnet, D., Lasset, C., Fricker, J.P., Berthet, P., Julian-Reynier, C., Mancini, J. & Noguès, C. (2019). Uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France. Psycho-Oncology, 28(9), 1894–1900.
Posters
- Gauna, F. (2025). Vaccine adverse events and vaccine hesitancy: a scoping review. “The contributions of psychology to social health inequalities: understanding and acting throughout life”, July 2025, Toulouse, France. ⟨hal-05201855⟩
- Gauna, F., Noguès, C., Mouret-Fourme, E., Coupier, I., Mari, V., Moretta-Serra, J., Bouhnik, A. & Carof, S. (2020). Parental communication of BRCA1/2 mutation status to children: links between gender norms and health practices. European Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 28, Suppl. 1, Springer Nature.
Scientific activities
Event organisation
- May 2026 — 2nd Workshop of the SHS–Vaccination Network, “The social experience of vaccines’ adverse effects” (co-organiser).
- January 2026 — Interdisciplinary seminar of the Public Health Young Researchers’ Network, “Hospital emergencies: from chronic crisis to reinventing the care system” (co-organiser).
- October 2025 — CERMES3 doctoral and early-career researchers’ days (co-organiser).
Research collaborations and policy notes
Strategic notes from the SLAVACO and COVIREIVAC surveys on French attitudes to vaccination (directed by J.K. Ward):
- SLAVACO Wave 1 and further analysis of COVIREIVAC — the French and vaccination.
- SLAVACO Wave 2 — health pass, vaccine mandate and boosters.
- SLAVACO Wave 3 — childhood vaccination, COVID vaccination intentions, and use of the TousAntiCovid app.
- COVIREIVAC Wave 2 / SLAVACO Wave 4 — boosters and childhood vaccination during the decline of the epidemic.
Working paper:
- Gauna, F. & Salvà Pont, A. (2025). Selective attention: how healthcare systems engage with autism in vaccination processes. ⟨hal-05269240⟩
Skills
- Languages: Spanish (native), French (fluent), English (fluent).
- Social-science fieldwork: interviews, observations, questionnaires; psychosocial diagnosis; group facilitation (e.g. therapeutic patient education).
- Quantitative analysis: exploratory statistics and modelling — Python, SPSS, Jamovi, basics in R.
- Qualitative analysis: content analysis, thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis.
- Office software.