My Biography
Aunchalee Palmquist is a Thai American medical anthropologist, with over 20 years of experience applying anthropological theory and methods to advance health equity. Her research on perinatal-newborn health and breastfeeding bridges critical biocultural anthropology and global public health. Inspired by feminist anthropology, Indigenous methodologies, bioethics, and human rights frameworks, she applies anthropology to uncover root causes of health inequities and to imagine new directions for policy, practice, and advocacy.
Recognized with the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings Faculty Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research and multiple teaching awards, Dr. Palmquist’s scholarship has informed public health policy and practice in the U.S. and globally. Dr. Palmquist has previously served on the WHO/UNICEF Global Breastfeeding Collective, the global Emergency Nutrition Network IFE Core Group, and the United States Breastfeeding Committee as Co-Steward of the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies Constellation. An Associate Professor of the Practice in Global Health and Cultural Anthropology at the Duke Global Health Institute, Dr. Palmquist’s research has been funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the American Association of University Women, the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), HRSA, and the National Institutes of Health.