Zainabu Jallo

Zainabu Jallo is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in anthropology at the University of Basel (CH) and an Associate Fellow at Collegium. Her work bridges material culture studies, criminal anthropology, and Afro-Atlantic traditions, exploring the historical and ideological legacies of discredited scientific frameworks.

• Education: PhD in Anthropology from the University of Bern (CH).

Research Focus: Zainabu examines how criminal anthropology’s biases, rooted in legal and institutional frameworks, have shaped modern understandings of humanity through material objects. Her projects, such as Inherited Futures? Objects, Time, and Knowledge, analyze the tangible remnants of colonial and pseudoscientific ideologies.

Teaching: She develops courses on provenance research, museum anthropology, Afro-Atlantic studies, and iconic criticism.

Publications: Recent works include the monograph Diasporic Consciousness in the Material Culture of Brazilian Candomblé (2025) and the edited volume Material Culture in Transit: Theory and Practice (2023).

• Scientific Awards:
  • Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship (2025–2026)
  • Associate Fellow at Collegium