Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Janelle Lamoreaux — Exploring Reproduction, Gender, and Environmental Health

Janelle Lamoreaux  associate professor and associate director of the School of Anthropology, founder and director of the Collaborative Anthropology for Reproduction and the Environment (CARE) Lab, and team lead for the VIP Collaborative Anthropology of Reproduction and the Environment team  is a sociocultural anthropologist focused on reproduction, gender, and environmental health. Her work combines the social studies of science, medical anthropology, and environmental humanities.

Lamoreaux is the author of In/fertile Environments: Epigenetic Toxicology and the Reproductive Health of Chinese Men, which explores how scientists in China navigate the reproductive and political implications of environmental toxicity. She has published widely in Cultural Anthropology, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, and Environmental Humanities.

Her current research explores the rise of sensory integration disorder and global cryoconservation initiatives that use reproductive technologies to preserve biodiversity for future generations.

In the CARE Lab, Lamoreaux brings a collaborative anthropology approach to studying global trends in reproductive decision-making through the perspectives of young people in Tucson. She founded the lab to center the voices of young BIPOC students in the southwestern U.S. and to expand research on reproductive choices and climate change, both methodologically and theoretically.

Since fall 2023, the lab has engaged 12 undergraduates and two graduate students in all phases of research. Students have presented their findings at the SBSRI Faculty Seed Grant program, VIP poster sessions, and professional conferences such as the 2024 and 2025 Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, sharing work including:

• “From Boomers to Doomers: Collaborative Anthropology of Reproductive Decision Making”
• “The World’s on Fire but We’re Still Having Kids: Collaborative Anthropology of Reproductive Reluctance in the U.S. Southwest.”

Dr. Lamoreaux makes significant contributions to U of A, SBS, and the School of Anthropology as an innovative and successful educator,” wrote Diane Austin, director of the School of Anthropology. “She has established the CARE Lab as a model for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research and guiding graduate students in how to be strong and effective mentors.”

Through her research, teaching, and leadership in the VIP Collaborative Anthropology of Reproduction and the Environment team, Dr. Lamoreaux continues to advance understanding of how environmental, political, and social forces shape reproductive futures.