Kathryn Clancy

Kathryn Clancy is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, specializing in biological anthropology and feminist science. Her research focuses on reproductive physiology, menstrual cycle dynamics, and the impact of environmental stressors on women's health. She runs an intersectional feminist biology lab and has conducted long-term fieldwork in rural Poland and at the GAMES summer camp in Illinois. Clancy is a prominent advocate against sexual harassment in STEM, having served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee to Address Sexual Harassment in the Sciences. She has received the 2018 Gender Equity Award from the American Anthropological Association.

Her work bridges academia and public engagement through her podcast Period Podcast, her book Period: The Real Story of Menstruation, and her platform on Bluesky and Instagram. Clancy also collaborates on policy initiatives, including congressional bills addressing sexual harassment in science and improving menstrual health research. She emphasizes the need for inclusive science that addresses systemic biases and under-researched topics like menstrual cycle variability and vaccine hesitancy related to menstrual exclusion.

Key affiliations include the University of Illinois Department of Anthropology and the Mogielica Human Ecology Study Site. Clancy’s interdisciplinary approach integrates anthropology, public health, and feminist theory to advance equity in science and healthcare.