Darwin Rodriguez
- Assistant Professor of Practice // Anthropology
Office and Contact
Room: STON 352
Email: darwinr@purdue.edu
Darwin Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Health Anthropology at Purdue University. His research examines the intersections of substance use, bureaucracy, and care, focusing on how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other healthcare providers understand and respond to chemsex, the use of psychoactive substances during sex within LGBTQ+ communities.
Drawing on medical anthropology and the anthropology of NGOs, Darwin conducts ethnographic research in the U.S. to understand how the legacies of HIV/AIDS and the War on Drugs continue to shape approaches to care. His most recent project, "Party, Play, and the State" examines how funding mechanisms shape definitions of chemsex and the design of public health interventions in Los Angeles.
Darwin teaches across cultural and medical anthropology, including courses on global health and on drugs and culture. Previously, he worked in community-based initiatives addressing health and educational inequities.
Drawing on medical anthropology and the anthropology of NGOs, Darwin conducts ethnographic research in the U.S. to understand how the legacies of HIV/AIDS and the War on Drugs continue to shape approaches to care. His most recent project, "Party, Play, and the State" examines how funding mechanisms shape definitions of chemsex and the design of public health interventions in Los Angeles.
Darwin teaches across cultural and medical anthropology, including courses on global health and on drugs and culture. Previously, he worked in community-based initiatives addressing health and educational inequities.