Ulises Espinoza

Ulises Espinoza is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at Princeton University, where he conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of anthropology, epistemology, and biomedicine. He will join San José State University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology in Fall 2025.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 2023
• B.S. in Biology and Cognition, DePaul University, 2016

Ulises's research explores how knowledge is valued and owned, particularly within indigenous epistemic systems such as those of the Achuar and Shuar in southeastern Ecuador. He employs mixed-method approaches, combining quantitative cross-cultural vignette studies with long-term ethnographic fieldwork. A central theme in his work is the moral economy of credibility—how certain forms of knowledge are legitimized while others are marginalized, especially in science and medicine. His second project critically examines how race is reified as a biological concept in clinical algorithms and training, shaping healthcare outcomes through discourses of scientific credibility.

His publications in Nature Communications and Social Science & Medicine reflect a consistent focus on epistemic justice, indigenous knowledge sovereignty, and the sociocultural construction of race. The trends across his recent articles reveal a deep engagement with science and technology studies, moral anthropology, and decolonial frameworks, often analyzing institutional practices that govern what counts as legitimate knowledge.

Scientific Contributions and Recognition:

• Published in top-tier journals including Nature Communications and Social Science & Medicine
• Organized and presented sessions at the American Anthropological Association and American Association of Biological Anthropologists
• Developing a book manuscript on grief and narratives of progress in Achuar communities

Ulises has been actively involved in academic mentoring and public scholarship, advising on issues of race science and epistemic bias. While specific grants are not listed, his postdoctoral position at Princeton and upcoming faculty appointment indicate strong institutional support and research funding. His future work will expand on the moral economies shaping medical knowledge and care, with a focus on equity and justice.

His research is deeply connected to field-based collaborations with indigenous communities in Ecuador and emerging partnerships with medical practitioners in the U.S. He works within interdisciplinary teams that bridge anthropology, bioethics, and science and technology studies, contributing to critical dialogues on knowledge production and power.