EDEN BLACKWELL

PhD Student
beblackwell@crimson.ua.edu

I’m a PhD student in Biocultural Medical Anthropology. My previous degrees are in international studies and sociology (BA) from the University of Mississippi and international health and development (MPH) from Tulane University. Much of my professional experience has been in health policy, a field I maintain a passion for and one I hope to complement through a study of biocultural medical anthropology. My current research interests involve the impacts of climate change on human health and culture, human-environment interactions, and global health, broadly.
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AAA 2022 Poster – Coping at a cost: Impacts and responses to climate change among Sidama agropastoralists

MEAGAN COPELAND

Accelerated MA Student
mcopeland1@crimson.ua.edu 

​Meagan Copeland is an Accelerated Master’s student in biocultural anthropology. She is currently finishing up her BA in Anthropology with minors in Neuroscience and Interdisciplinary Medical Studies. Meagan is particularly interested in feminist anthropology and social justice.  As an AEMT herself, her master’s thesis will focus on the interactions between first responders and survivors of traumatic experiences, how these interactions affect first responder wellbeing, and how those interactions may result in the retraumatization of survivors. 

NIGAR SULTANA

PhD Student
​nsultana3@crimson.ua.edu

 am a PhD student in Biocultural Medical Anthropology. I completed my undergraduate and master’s in Anthropology at Comilla University in Bangladesh. Most of my research is based on gender studies and public health issues related to women and children (especially adolescents). I believe studying Biocultural Medical Anthropology will expand my research knowledge and field in a broad way. My current research interests involve adolescent girls’ stress management, specifically in dealing with mental health problems during and after pregnancy, from a cross-cultural perspective.  

YULIYA GLUHOVA

MA Student
ydgluhova@crimson.ua.edu

​I am an MA student primarily focused on Biocultural Medical Anthropology. My fascination with anthropology began through biology and history classes in my high school in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Learning about evolution, genetics, and the extensive history of Turkmen and Russian migration deeply fascinated me. I nurtured this interest in anthropology at Mississippi State University, where I earned a BA in Anthropology and a Certificate in Medical Humanities. During my time there, I interned with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, as well as various development non-profits including Eurasia Foundation, MADRE, and the International Institute at Buffalo, among others. Additionally, I had the opportunity to contribute to two research projects at Mississippi State University and the University of California, Irvine. My anthropological interests are broad, encompassing public and global health, the Russian and Spanish languages, and ethnography.

MORENIKE SAMUEL

PhD Student
mtsamuel1@crimson.ua.edu

​Morenike Samuel is a PhD student in Biocultural Medical Anthropology. Morenike’s research on Ethnomedicinal Practices among the people of Southwestern Nigeria led to her interest in learning about Complementary/Alternative medicine, socioeconomic development
and Anthropology of disease. 

​Originally from Nigeria, Morenike earned her Bachelors in Archaeology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She enjoys travelling and exploring new places, reading, collecting art and visiting art galleries.

AAA poster 2024 – ​Exploring the Psychological Effects of Sickle Cell Disease

MOLLY SULLIVAN

Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Randall Research Scholar