Steven Epstein

Steven Epstein is a Professor of Sociology and the John C. Shaffer Professor in the Humanities at Northwestern University. He is affiliated with the Gender & Sexuality Studies program, the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, the Science in Human Culture Program, the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health, and the Cells to Society (C2S) Center on Social Disparities and Health.

Research Interests: Epstein specializes in the "politics of knowledge," particularly focusing on how biomedical knowledge is contested and produced through interactions between social movements, experts, and health institutions. His work examines sexuality, gender, race, and the societal impacts of framing health issues through a sexual health lens.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Guggenheim Fellowship
  • American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Book Award
  • C. Wright Mills Prize
  • Stanford Center for Advanced Study Fellowship
  • Radcliffe Institute Fellowship
  • Eight book prizes

Publications Trends: His recent work explores sexual health's entanglement with social justice, human rights, and biocitizenship. Earlier articles examine technoscience's role in constructing sexuality, immigrant sexual citizenship, and pharmaceuticalization of risk.

Funding: His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.