Anna Waldstein

Dr. Anna Waldstein is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Anthropology and Ethnobotany at the University of Kent's School of Anthropology and Conservation, where she has been teaching since 2005. She serves as Director of Studies for Anthropology and has extensive experience in program design and student support, having held roles including Senior Tutor, Programme Convenor, and Director of Graduate Studies. Her leadership in teaching and curriculum development earned her SFHEA recognition.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Ecological and Environmental Anthropology from the University of Georgia and a BA in Medical Anthropology from Hampshire College. Waldstein's research focuses on the social, political, economic, environmental and spiritual dimensions of health and healing, particularly among migrant communities. She has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork with Mexican migrants in the southeastern United States and Rastafari migrants from the Caribbean in England.

Waldstein's recent publications reveal a strong focus on Rastafari healing practices, health sovereignty in hostile environments, and consciousness studies. Her work consistently examines how marginalized communities navigate healthcare systems through traditional knowledge and spiritual practices. The recurring themes across her publications include embodiment, medicinal plant use, and resistance to health inequalities through alternative healing frameworks.

Her scientific achievements include the 2024 Diversity Mark Award for her Introduction to Social Anthropology module and SFHEA recognition for her teaching excellence. Waldstein has been instrumental in decolonizing anthropology curricula at Kent through diverse reading lists and student co-creation of content.

As a supervisor, Waldstein has guided numerous PhD students through research on human-plant relationships, traditional environmental knowledge, medical pluralism, and diaspora identities. Her collaborative research has received funding from the University of Kent, British Academy/Leverhulme Trust, and Public Engagement with Research Fund. Waldstein has also been active in professional organizations, serving as chair of the Schultes Award Committee for the Society for Ethnobotany and as co-founder of the Breaking Convention conference on psychedelic consciousness.