Dr. Luisa Reis Castro

Biography

Luísa Reis-Castro is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern California. Her research broadly examines the social, cultural, political, and historical dimensions of scientific knowledge and human-animal relations, particularly concerning the harm to humans involved. Reis-Castro's work primarily focuses on the ecologies, epidemics, and the reinvention of mosquito science in Brazil, especially how mosquitoes are implicated in health campaigns that are intertwined with racialized politics. Her interdisciplinary scholarship integrates methodologies from various fields, shaped by extensive fieldwork in Brazil. The ongoing planetary climate transformations have contributed to the geographic expansion of Aedes aegypti, captivating her research interest in how these dynamics signal future epidemics. Her contributions have been recognized through multiple awards, including honors from the American Anthropological Association and the British Society for the History of Science.

Research Interests