Anne Bartlett has worked on Sudan, South Sudan and East Africa for over 15 years. Her research centers on three key areas: conflict, forced displacement and related humanitarian crises. 

Bartlett was the chair of the United Nations hearing on the Darfur crisis, UN commission on Human Rights, 60th Session, Geneva, Switzerland, April 2004. She has also met with former President Thabo Mbeki and the African National Congress in South Africa to discuss progress on the situation in Darfur. Bartlett has published extensively on the Darfur crisis and has given numerous talks on the subject worldwide. She was also President of the Sudan Studies Association from 2015-2017.