Rabindra Willford

Rabindra is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology and is presently conducting ethnographic research in India. Focusing upon an indigenous community of snake-catchers and their central role in the snake anti-venom industry, Rabindra’s doctoral dissertation project explores how knowledge, labor, and social relations are taken up in systems of biotechnical exchange to address the critical issue of snakebite in India. His theoretical interests draw from postcolonial and indigenous studies, medical anthropology, science studies, and multispecies ethnography. Rabindra also completed research for his MA thesis on knowledge production and aid landscapes among NGOs and indigenous communities in the mountainous Nilgiris district in South India. Prior to his doctoral work, Rabindra completed his BA in Anthropology at Cornell University in 2017, and his MA in Anthropology at UCSD in 2020. Rabindra’s research has been supported by the U.S. Fulbright Program and the American Institute of Indian Studies.