Modupe Karimi

Modupe Karimi (she/her) is a double major in the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health and African Studies, pursuing an advanced language certificate in Yoruba. Originally from Dallas, Texas, and of Nigerian Yoruba heritage, she investigates the transnational dimensions of Yoruba spirituality and medical histories across the African diaspora. Her research explores the worship of Yoruba orishas in Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda, examining how enslaved Yoruba people preserved and adapted their spiritual traditions in Brazil through syncretism with Catholic saints. This interest in diasporic cultural continuity extends to her work on the history of Sickle Cell Disease research, where she traces how scientific knowledge and community organizing have shaped medical approaches to conditions predominantly affecting African-descended populations. Additionally, she examines the contemporary impacts of skin bleaching practices across West Africa, analyzing how colorism and beauty standards reflect ongoing legacies of colonialism. As a member of the Anti-Eugenics Collective at Yale, she researches the histories and legacies of the American eugenics movement, investigating how Yale faculty and administrators contributed to racist, ableist, and classist ideologies through their involvement in the American Eugenics Society. The collective's work uncovers how eugenic thinking around genetic superiority and "human betterment" permeated academic disciplines including medicine, law, biology, and statistics, shaping institutional practices that continue to inform contemporary debates around health equity and justice.