As a medical anthropologist, I conceptualize body, health, illness, and healing as ever-evolving products of social, cultural, and historical contexts, such that promoting health entails addressing both its biomedical and sociocultural components. Social inequity and health disparity permeate most cultural contexts. I trace the inequity-health dynamic in populations marginalized on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity/race, economic status, nationality, and employment. In research spanning over a decade in both non-profit and academic positions, I have drawn on a synthesis of methodological tools to explore reproductive health, gender relations and violence, household production of health, elder health and care, participatory research methods, social capital and well-being, and domestic service. Much of my work has focused on Mexican populations. Ultimately, I aim to inform efforts promoting social equity through health, and health through social equity.

Lifework | Biosketch | What is medical anthropology?