Dr. Taiye Winful

Biography

Taiye Winful is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Loyola University Chicago, an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University, where her dissertation, funded by the National Science Foundation, focused on the biocultural genetic influences on inflammatory responses in African diasporic populations. Her research utilizes epigenetic methods to explore how social factors and stress contribute to biological dysregulation, leading to health disparities. She is particularly interested in how perceptions of stress and narrative can mediate the biological pathways linking stress and inflammation. Taiye's research interests include genetics, embodiment, health disparities, epigenetics, inflammation, and community-engaged work with mixed methods approaches.

Research Interests

Experience