Giulio Ongaro

Giulio Ongaro is a researcher at the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics (LSE). His work focuses on medical anthropology, shamanism, and ritual efficacy among the Akha people of highland Laos. He holds a PhD from LSE, supported by ESRC funding, and conducted extensive fieldwork in Southeast Asia. His research bridges anthropological theory with cognitive science and philosophy of mind, particularly exploring placebo effects and the 'extended mind' hypothesis. Currently, he is developing a monograph on Akha medical systems and pioneering projects on voodoo death, global psychiatry history, and the epistemic value of animistic philosophies.

Education: MSc in Philosophy (University of Edinburgh), PhD in Anthropology (LSE). His interdisciplinary approach integrates ethnography with neuroscience and philosophy to address questions about ritual efficacy, medical rationality, and cultural psychiatry.

Research Interests: Medical anthropology, animism, placebo science, cognitive science, philosophy of mind, global history of psychiatry, and Southeast Asian studies.

Advising & Grants: ESRC-funded PhD research. Collaborations on projects exploring biomedical ethics, open-label placebo trials, and the social dimensions of mental health.

Labs/Teams: Part of LSE's anthropology research unit, contributing to interdisciplinary initiatives at the intersection of culture, cognition, and health.