Anthropology student wins research award for study on medical pluralism in Ecuador
Wayne State anthropology student Ciara Lumaj has received a 2015 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Award for her study on the integration of Western biomedicine into societies with traditional healthcare systems.
Lumaj’s research explores medical pluralism in Ecuador, where biomedical practices intersect with indigenous healing traditions, including Spanish folk medicine, Amazonian and Andean practices, herbal remedies, and shamanism. Her study examines how different practitioners interact, government policies on alternative medicine, the role of religion in health, and how patients choose between treatment options.
By analyzing how these systems coexist, Lumaj aims to provide insights into how traditional and modern medical practices can complement each other, offering potential applications for healthcare approaches in Western societies.