Kate Masley, Ph.D.

Educational Background:
Ph.D., Medical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
M.A., Medical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
B.A., Anthropology with concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies, Kenyon College

Teaching Interests: 
Community and Public Health
Bioethics

Research/Scholarship:
Dr. Masley’s ethnographic research has focused on the pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum practices and experiences among Mexican immigrant women in the US and Honduran women living in Honduras.

Dr. Masley’s research is rooted in what many public health researchers call the “Latina Paradox.” According to this “paradox,” statistics show that Mexican women in the U.S. are generally having healthy babies (i.e., their children are born of a healthy weight and rarely premature). Even though many Mexican immigrants in the U.S. generally represent a low-income group, lack sufficient health insurance, and many maintain low education rates and low prenatal care utilization, Mexican immigrant women are still giving birth to healthy infants. Dr. Masley’s research has provided a much-needed qualitative piece to the scholarship focusing on this “paradox.” This research has been funded by the National Science Foundation.

Professional Affiliations:
American Anthropological Association
Society for Medical Anthropology

Personal Interests: 
Dr. Masley enjoys spending time with her husband, exploring the interesting neighborhoods and towns in the Detroit area, and teaching her parrots how to talk.