Anjana Bala

Anjana Bala is a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics, specializing in intersections of madness, embodiment, art, and ecologies. With a PhD in Medical Anthropology from UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco and an MSc in Medical Anthropology from University College London, her research examines how psychiatric and philosophical categories of the immaterial interact with material realities, particularly in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

• Education:
  • PhD in Medical Anthropology - UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco
  • MSc in Medical Anthropology - University College London
  • BA in Human Biology - Stanford University

Her current work investigates theories of subjectivity through non-human lenses, while her artistic practice as a South Asian dance artist explores bodily transformation via histories and movement practices. Recent projects include Optics (2024) and Labored (2025), blending choreography with anthropological inquiry.

Recent publications highlight her interdisciplinary approach spanning psychiatric anthropology, ecological studies, and performance theory. She is supported by grants including AHRC funding (AH/W01002X/1) through Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research.