Natali Valdez
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University
I am an interdisciplinary scholar trained in qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. My work lies at the intersections of medical anthropology, gender studies, science and technology studies, and public health.
For the past decade I have researched the design and implementation of pregnancy trials that draw on epigenetics and postgenomic sciences. I am currently working on a new project titled “Postgenomic Reproduction and the Aftermath of Failure” funded by the AAUW American Postdoctoral fellowship. This project examines intergenerational trauma, and the failure to find epigenetic modifications in human populations.
As of Jan 2022, I will participate as the gender and technology expert on the COLEV research team at the Universidad de los Andes, in Colombia. Our focus is on critically examining the role of big data in shaping public health policy in Colombia. We are currently developing proposals for the National Science Foundation, and global health grants.
I am deeply committed to public facing work, and participate in a feminist research group called the Nutrire CoLab. You can find our podcast here, and check out our co-authored work here.
I have experience teaching in large public research institutions and small private liberal arts settings. As a result, my pedagogy is versatile and integrates undergraduate and graduate students in applied research.
As a child of Mexican immigrants, my passion is to make higher education accessible, inspiring, and a tool for social change.
Email me at ntvaldez@purdue.edu or follow me on:
Natali Valdez 