JC Niala

I am an anthropologist and historian whose research spans human-nature relations, the global history of science, and critical museology. I hold a DPhil in Social Anthropology from St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. My doctoral research examined British urban gardening as a site of imaginative and cultural production, analysing how cultivation practices reflect and shape social structures, political ideologies, and historical memory. I also hold a Master’s in Social Anthropology, with a focus on urban anthropology, and an MSt in Creative Writing.

My current research explores the global history of milk production and its ecological, economic, and social dimensions. Focusing primarily on Kenya and the UK, I use interdisciplinary and collaborative methodologies to examine how transformations in dairying over the past two centuries have reshaped relationships between humans, animals, and landscapes.

I am committed to public engagement with research. My work has been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, Monocle, and other national and international platforms. I regularly collaborate with communities, museums, and artists to develop participatory and socially engaged research outputs.