Magdalena E. Stawkowski

Magdalena Stawkowski is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at University of South Carolina, with affiliations at the Walker Institute for International Studies. Her research examines socio-cultural legacies of Soviet nuclear testing in Kazakhstan, focusing on health disparities, environmental governance, and human adaptation in irradiated environments. She holds a PhD from University of Colorado Boulder and has held research positions at Stanford University and Danish Institute for International Studies.

Her work investigates how communities navigate health risks in radiation-affected zones, blending medical anthropology with science and technology studies. Research explores cognitive, behavioral, and neurobiological factors that contribute to OCD and related disorders.

Stawkowski teaches courses including Humans Going Nuclear, Toxic Environments, and Medical Anthropology. She received the Soyuz Article Prize (2017) and ARHE Policy Brief Award (2023), and actively mentors graduate students in anthropology.