Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist

Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist is Director of Graduate Studies at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) and Associate Professor of the Practice in Global Health and Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. She holds an adjunct appointment as Associate Professor in Maternal and Child Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She earned a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

• Education: PhD in Medical Anthropology (UH Manoa), IBCLC certification

Her research focuses on health equity through feminist ethnography, prioritizing breastfeeding and human lactation studies. She bridges medical anthropology with global health, applying Indigenous methodologies and bioethics to address systemic inequities. Her work spans 20+ years of fieldwork in interdisciplinary global health collaborations.

Recent publications explore Black women’s fertility narratives, HIV-related suicidal ideation in Tanzania, and diabetes management in pregnant Thai women, reflecting her commitment to intersectional health research. She has led global initiatives including WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding advocacy and UN maternal health policy work.

• Awards: 2024 Solon T. Kimball Award, 2021 Health Equity Research Award, and multiple teaching accolades
• Grants & Leadership: Funded projects on breastfeeding in crises, served on Emergency Nutrition Network and US Breastfeeding Committee

Her academic leadership includes teaching courses like Global Maternal & Child Health and qualitative field methods at DGHI. She co-founded the Global Breastfeeding Institute and advocates for evidence-based lactation policies worldwide.