Eugene Raikhel

Eugene Raikhel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago and Director of the Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies. His research focuses on the anthropology of science, biomedicine, psychiatry, and addiction treatment, with a regional emphasis on post-Soviet Eurasia and North America.

His notable work includes the book *Governing Habits: Treating Alcoholism in the Post-Soviet Clinic* (2016), which examines transformations in alcoholism treatment in St. Petersburg. Current projects explore behavioral epigenetics and suicide risk (collaborating with McGill University researchers) and mental health dynamics among U.S. undergraduates.

Raikhel co-founded and edits the academic blog *Somatosphere*, focusing on intersections between medical anthropology, cultural psychiatry, and science studies. He teaches courses on medical anthropology, mental health, and subjectivity.

His research bridges cultural analysis with scientific innovation, emphasizing how technologies and knowledge circulate between clinical and cultural contexts. Key themes include placebo use in Russian medicine, the global spread of biomedicine, and interdisciplinary methodological approaches.