James Battle is a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology at UC Santa Cruz. A graduate of the UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco Joint Medical Anthropology Program, Dr. Battle’s work focuses on the medical anthropology and sociology of The Black Atlantic, creolization, and the political economy of race. A member of the Race, Genomics and the Media Working Group at UCSC, his current research examines the discursive politics of race since the genomic revolution. In particular, this project explores the bioethical implications of changing institutional relationships and approaches to health disparities research. He is currently working on a book manuscript examining genomic “Africa” and its intersections with historical discourses of race, gender, and kinship in anthropology and sociology. His Science & Justice Research Center participation reflects his larger research concerns about the ways categories mobilize differential practices, resources, and forms of care.
Mentored by Jenny Reardon.