Investigador Principal at CONICET, Argentina
Professional Profile:
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Summary:
Dr. Natalia Luxardo is a prominent Argentine social scientist, educator, and researcher specializing in the intersections of health, social inequality, and care practices. As Principal Investigator at CONICET and a professor at the University of Buenos Aires, she has significantly contributed to the fields of medical anthropology, social work, and palliative care. With a multidisciplinary and transnational academic background, her work bridges local realities with global health and social policy debates.
Educational Details
Dr. Luxardo earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work from the University of Buenos Aires in 1996. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences with a focus on Health from FLACSO-CEDES, where she graduated with honors in 2005. Her first doctorate, completed at the University of Buenos Aires in 2007, examined non-formal therapeutic practices in cancer care. She further completed a second doctorate in Culture and Society at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes in 2011, focusing on home-based end-of-life care. Across these programs, she consistently earned top academic distinctions, including Suma Cum Laude.
Professional Experience
Dr. Luxardo is a Principal Researcher at CONICET, based at the Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani (UBA), where she has been active since 2007. She also holds faculty appointments at the University of Buenos Aires as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Social Work. She teaches courses on research methodology, final thesis supervision, and health-related topics. Internationally, she has lectured in Germany, Spain, and the UK, and participated in global research networks focused on health, care work, and social equity. She has also collaborated with organizations such as FEMEBA and the Universidad Nacional de Jujuy to enhance training for health and social professionals.
Research Interests
Dr. Luxardo’s research focuses on social inequalities in health, palliative and home-based care, medical pluralism, and the intersection of health systems with cultural practices. She emphasizes a gender-sensitive and epistemologically plural approach to care and disease, particularly cancer, end-of-life experiences, and informal caregiving. Her current projects address inequities in chronic disease prevention, the feminization of care labor, and collaborative health interventions in underserved populations.
Author Metrics
Dr. Luxardo has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in Spanish and international journals, contributing extensively to the fields of health sociology, medical anthropology, and public health. Her research is indexed in Scopus, Google Scholar, and ORCID (ID: 0000-0002-9304-0110). She is recognized for her methodological rigor, qualitative expertise, and interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly in Latin America and Europe.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Luxardo has received widespread recognition for her work, including the TASA Best Paper Award for Health Sociology (2019), an Honor Diploma from the Argentine Senate (2011), and multiple first-place research awards from national institutions like the Academia Nacional de Medicina. Her book "Morir en casa" was declared of social interest by the Buenos Aires Legislature, reflecting its societal impact. Internationally, she received the “Award of Excellence” from Family Service of South Lake County (USA) for her work with Latin American immigrants. These honors underscore her scholarly impact and public engagement on critical issues of health, care, and social justice.
Publication Top Notes
1. Keeping Unsafe at Home: Disputes and Social Practices Regarding Risks During a Geological Disaster in a Vulnerable Fishing Community in Argentina
Authors: N. Luxardo, L. M. Passerino, M. Bordes, I. Spessotti, F. Sassetti
Journal: Health, Risk & Society (2025), 1–22
Summary:
This article examines how a marginalized fishing community in Argentina perceives and navigates risk during a geological disaster (e.g., flooding or erosion). Using collaborative ethnography, the study uncovers the conflict between institutional risk narratives and community-based practices. The residents’ decision to remain in hazardous homes is shown to stem not from ignorance but from structural vulnerabilities and culturally embedded notions of care and survival. The study critiques one-size-fits-all risk policies and argues for more inclusive, community-informed disaster responses.
2. Collaborative Ethnography and a Call for Pluralism and Dialogic Knowledge in Health Equity Debates and Global Cancer Research Culture
Author: N. Luxardo
Journal: Anthropology & Medicine (2024), 1–18
Summary:
In this theoretical and methodological reflection, Luxardo advocates for dialogic, pluralistic approaches in global health equity research, especially in cancer care. Drawing on fieldwork experiences, the paper critiques dominant biomedical paradigms and proposes collaborative ethnography as a means to bridge epistemological gaps between Global North and South. It highlights the value of co-producing knowledge with marginalized communities and calls for restructuring the research process to foster equity, recognition, and contextual relevance in global oncology.
3. Tecnologías para la Inclusión Social: Implementación de un Sistema Informático para la Gestión de Programas de Prevención de Cáncer en el Territorio
Authors: F. Sassetti, E. Ridel, M. Iturain, J. Billordo, I. Spessotti, L. Alva, L. Passerino, N. Luxardo
Publisher: Asociación Latino-Iberoamericana de Gestión Tecnológica y de la Innovación (2023)
Summary:
This project report and applied study documents the development and implementation of a digital health system aimed at improving cancer prevention programs in underserved areas. The system allows for efficient, territory-sensitive data collection and follow-up, enhancing coordination between public health agents and community-based care networks. Dr. Luxardo contributed the socio-anthropological analysis of how such technologies can support equity if developed through participatory, inclusive frameworks.
4. Volcano: Between Structural Vulnerabilities and Collective Defence of Honor in Communities Surrounding an Open Dumpsite
Authors: N. Luxardo, F. Sassetti, L. M. Passerino, E. Wright, J. Billordo, M. Kolvenbach, et al.
Journal: Qualitative Health Research, 32(11), 1701–1720 (2022)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221088183
Summary:
This ethnographic study investigates the sociocultural dynamics around a toxic dumpsite in Argentina, where communities live in extreme precarity. The paper explores how residents navigate health risks, environmental degradation, and social stigma. Central to the analysis is the concept of honor as a form of resistance and identity preservation amid structural neglect. It provides a powerful critique of environmental injustice and contributes to debates on health, place, and dignity in global public health.
5. “It Just Keeps Hurting”: Continuums of Violence and Their Impact on Cervical Cancer Mortality in Argentina
Authors: N. Luxardo, L. Bennett
Publication: Cancer and the Politics of Care: Inequalities and Interventions in Global Perspective (2022)
Summary:
This book chapter explores how various forms of violence—structural, institutional, and intimate—intersect to affect cervical cancer mortality among women in Argentina. Through a feminist and ethnographic lens, the authors analyze barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment, revealing how systemic neglect, stigma, and gendered violence contribute to preventable deaths. The chapter calls for integrating violence-awareness and social justice into cancer care policy and practice.
Conclusion
Dr. Natalia Luxardo exemplifies the mission of the Outstanding Contribution Award through her scholarly rigor, ethical research engagement, and unwavering commitment to equity in health and care. Her transdisciplinary and feminist approach to social work and medical anthropology has had a measurable impact on research, education, and public health across Latin America.
She stands out not only for her academic excellence and publication record, but for transforming the lives of vulnerable populations through both research and advocacy. Her leadership in bridging science, society, and care represents the very best of social work as a field of practice and scholarship.