Noah Tamarkin

Noah Tamarkin is an Associate Professor at Cornell University with joint appointments in Anthropology and Science & Technology Studies, and a Research Associate at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) in Johannesburg, South Africa. His work examines intersections of genetics, race, citizenship, and power through ethnographic studies in South Africa since 2004.

• PhD in Cultural Anthropology with Feminist Studies notation (UC Santa Cruz)
• MA in Cultural Anthropology (UC Santa Cruz)
• BA in Anthropology (Colorado College)

Research focuses on genetic data's political and social implications, particularly in postapartheid South Africa. Key projects include analyzing DNA's role in ancestry testing, forensic databases, and trans health practices. He explores how marginalized communities rework genetic knowledge to assert belonging and challenge exclusionary technologies.

Recent publications address indigenous DNA in practice, forensic genetics legislation, and bioinformation ethics. His 2020 book Genetic Afterlives won the 2022 Jordan Schnitzer Prize and received a Diana Forsythe Prize honorable mention. Supported by NSF, Wenner Gren, and Howard Foundation fellowships.

• 2024 George A and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation Fellowship
• 2022 Jordan Schnitzer Prize (Association for Jewish Studies)
• 2022 Diana Forsythe Prize Honorable Mention
• 2015 AAA General Anthropology Division Prize

Teaches courses on race/religion, carceral systems, biology/society, and genetic temporalities. Collaborates with feminist, STS, and African studies frameworks.