James Staples

Professor James Staples is a prominent social anthropologist at Brunel University London, affiliated with the Department of Anthropology within the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences. His research focuses on medical anthropology, disability, food, and identity in South Asia, particularly India. He is actively engaged in fieldwork, teaching, and academic leadership, including roles as Divisional Senior Tutor and Director of the South Asia Studies Research Group.

• PhD in Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London (2003)
• BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London (1990)
• PG Cert, Brunel University (2008)

James Staples' research explores the social and cultural dimensions of bodily difference, leprosy, disability, suicide, and food practices in South India. His work combines ethnography with deep engagement on identity, stigma, and personhood. He has conducted long-term fieldwork in a South Indian leprosy colony since 1984, producing rich biographical and ethnographic insights.

His recent publications reflect a strong trajectory in food anthropology and identity politics, especially regarding beef consumption and caste. Articles and books such as 'Sacred Cows and Chicken Manchurian' and 'Blurring Bovine Boundaries' analyze how food becomes a site of political and social contestation. His earlier work on leprosy, disability, and suicide continues to inform contemporary debates in medical anthropology. He frequently collaborates with scholars like Rebecca Marsland and Michele Friedner, and his interdisciplinary approach spans health, ethics, and social change.

James Staples has received research funding from the ESRC and British Academy for projects on suicide, beef politics, and food mobility. He has served as External Examiner at prestigious institutions including the University of Cambridge, Oxford, and SOAS, reflecting his academic standing.

• Co-editor, Medical Anthropology: Cross-cultural Studies in Health and Illness (2021–2025)
• Vice-President, Royal Anthropological Institute (2015–2018)
• Chair, Publications Committee, Royal Anthropological Institute (2013–)
• Editorial board member, Ethnographica: Journal of Culture and Disability

He supervises PhD students on topics ranging from obesity and policing to maternal health and sterilization in India. His leadership in research groups like CRIMA and his editorial roles demonstrate his commitment to shaping the field. James Staples combines rigorous ethnography with public engagement, contributing to debates on climate change and health, communal tensions, and the future of medical anthropology.