Ray Qu

Ray Qu is a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Virginia, specializing in medical and cultural anthropology. His work focuses on marginalized groups in rural China, including peasants, migrant workers, and aging populations, blending ethnographic fieldwork with theoretical advancements in the anthropology of hope, healing, and religious practices.

His research examines:

• Medical Anthropology: Health inequities, chronic illness, and disability in rural China.
• Anthropology of Religion: Folk healing (incense seeing), Daoism, and affective therapeutics.
• Aging Studies: Experiences of rural elders under the hukou system and zero-COVID policies.

Recent publications explore ‘sickening landscapes’ in healthcare access and the cultural politics of religious temples. His work is supported by grants from the Templeton Religion Trust, YuRun Foundation, and Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.

Scientific awards include:

• All-University Graduate Teaching Award (2023)
• Best Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia (2021)
• Multiple Conference Travel Awards (2022, 2021)

Ray’s projects, including his upcoming book Sweet Apples, Bitter Lives, aim to amplify the voices of rural Chinese peasants and contribute to global discourses on care ethics and structural violence.