معرفی
Taiye Winful is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her work bridges biological anthropology with epigenetics to study how social factors influence health disparities in African and African diasporic populations.
- Education
- PhD in Anthropology (2024), Vanderbilt University
- M.A. in Anthropology (2020), Vanderbilt University
- M.A. in Anthropology (2018), University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- B.S. in Molecular Biology (2016), Loyola University Chicago
Winful's research examines how social stressors become biologically embedded through epigenetic mechanisms, particularly in relation to C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory responses. She integrates community-engaged methodologies and mixed methods approaches to explore:
- Biocultural influences on inflammation
- Stress narratives and their physiological mediation
- Cross-cultural comparisons of health disparities
The synthesis of her publications—spanning epigenetics, population genetics, and bioethics—highlights a consistent focus on social determinants of health and historical contexts in scientific research.
- Scientific Awards
- SEC Emerging Scholars fellowship ($35,000)
- Provost Fellow, Vanderbilt University (2018-2021)
- Russel G. Hamilton Scholar, Vanderbilt University (2018-2021)
- Lauri Bassi Scholarship ($500)
- Deans scholarship, Loyola University Chicago (2012-2016)
Winful's grants include the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (NSF-DDIG, $20,000) and multiple Vanderbilt University awards supporting research on epigenetic pathways, Caribbean admixture, and evolutionary studies. She contributes to community-engaged work and collaborates with teams like La Corporación Piñones Se Integra (COPI) in Puerto Rico.
