Taiye Winful

Taiye Winful is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her work bridges biological anthropology with epigenetics to study how social factors influence health disparities in African and African diasporic populations.

• Education
  • PhD in Anthropology (2024), Vanderbilt University
  • M.A. in Anthropology (2020), Vanderbilt University
  • M.A. in Anthropology (2018), University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • B.S. in Molecular Biology (2016), Loyola University Chicago

Winful's research examines how social stressors become biologically embedded through epigenetic mechanisms, particularly in relation to C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory responses. She integrates community-engaged methodologies and mixed methods approaches to explore:

• Biocultural influences on inflammation
• Stress narratives and their physiological mediation
• Cross-cultural comparisons of health disparities

The synthesis of her publications—spanning epigenetics, population genetics, and bioethics—highlights a consistent focus on social determinants of health and historical contexts in scientific research.

• Scientific Awards
  • SEC Emerging Scholars fellowship ($35,000)
  • Provost Fellow, Vanderbilt University (2018-2021)
  • Russel G. Hamilton Scholar, Vanderbilt University (2018-2021)
  • Lauri Bassi Scholarship ($500)
  • Deans scholarship, Loyola University Chicago (2012-2016)

Winful's grants include the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (NSF-DDIG, $20,000) and multiple Vanderbilt University awards supporting research on epigenetic pathways, Caribbean admixture, and evolutionary studies. She contributes to community-engaged work and collaborates with teams like La Corporación Piñones Se Integra (COPI) in Puerto Rico.