Inking of Immunity

Dr. Bill Chopik (he/his/him) is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. He studies how close relationships—and the people in them—change over time and across situations. Dr. Chopik’s work examines phenomena as broad as how relationships and social institutions shape development and as focused as the mechanisms that underlie the link between close relati...

Pym Avery is a revolutionary tattoo artist who began tattooing in 1987 at just 19. Travelling around Europe in a van and learning the craft entirely on her own, She opened her first tattoo shop in southern Germany in 1995, making her among the first women to break into a strongly male-dominated trade. More than three decades later, her journey is laid out in her memoir Show Time (published 2024),...

Aaron Deter-Wolf is a Prehistoric Archaeologist with the Tennessee Division of Archaeology in Nashville, where his responsibilities include managing ancient Native American sites on State-owned lands and conducting archaeological excavations and research. In addition to his work in Tennessee, for the past decade Aaron has been a leading researcher in developing the archaeological study of tattooin...

Michelle Myles started tattooing in 1991 when tattooing was still illegal in New York City. When tattooing was legalized in 1997 Michelle and Brad opened Daredevil Tattoo on Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side. We discuss with her the history of tattooing in New York, some of which she covers on her walking tour of the Bowery, and her own personal experience as a tattoo artist working in New York...

Su‘a Sulu‘ape Aisea Toetu‘u is of Tongan and Filipino descent and lives in Hawai‘i. Since 2007, he has been the owner and operator of the world-renowned Soul Signature Tattoo in Honolulu. He received his tatau from Su‘a Sulu‘ape Alaiva‘a Petelo and was also given the Sulu‘ape title as a tufuga, which gave him the right to use the family tools. It was then that Toetu‘u started tattooing using the t...

Dr. Becci Owens is a regular co-host on TaHN. As a trained evolutionary psychologist, she brings a fresh perspective to all the anthropological interviews we do with our regular guests. In today's episode, we'll talk to her about her research, her journey to where she is, and most interestingly, her personal experience as a heavily tattooed woman in academia. Here is a link if you'd like to learn...

Stacy Becker is an artist and tattooist who specializes in medical tattooing, in particular NAC (nipple-areola complex) reconstruction. She owns her own medical tattooing center in Longwood, Florida where she takes patients in need of a wide range of services. Here is a link to her website: https://www.empowertattoo.com/ Tattooing & Human Nature is made possible by all these people: Chris Lynn - E...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Matthias Bartneck about his recent study on the way tattoo inks are received & metabolized in the body after they are administered. Apart from his research into tattoos, his research group is mostly focused on using drugs with nucleic acids (formulated as lipid nanoparticles) as an active ingredient. He lives and works in Germany. You can learn more about his lab an...

Tricia Allen is a tattooist with an extensive background in Polynesian history. Her approach to the art is unique in that she has tattooed over 8000 members of the Polynesian community, yet has an extensive academic background. She completed her Master's thesis at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1992 on the early practice of tattooing in the Marquesas Islands. Having completed her Master's d...

Tricia Allen is a tattooist with an extensive background in Polynesian history. Her approach to the art is unique in that she has tattooed over 8000 members of the Polynesian community, yet has an extensive academic background. She completed her Master's thesis at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1992 on the early practice of tattooing in the Marquesas Islands. Having completed her Master's d...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions of self-harm. mel is a métis, nehiyaw, nakota, saulteaux, french, and irish mother, community worker, researcher, writer, visual artist, traditional tattoo practitioner and phd student at concordia university focused on healing, decolonization, and (re)connection for Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ and Indigenous women. working closely with the Native Women...

Simone is the Founder, Director, Professor of Art Therapy/Counseling and Art Education Programs, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Alter-Muri has published and presented research on the connection between tattoos, art therapy and healing, children’s art, post-historical trauma and numerous other topics in the art therapy and psychology fields. She and Sarah do research and prese...

Jitske Kramer is a corporate anthropologist who travels all over the world to learn from traditional healers, leaders, surprising innovators, and random passers-by. She was asked for the documentary series Patterns of Life to share her anthropological skills and perspectives while presenting the series. Jitske has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. She wants to make sure that we listen to...

Douglas Wingate is a doctoral candidate who has has been practicing acupuncture since 2011 in Portland, Oregon and began working in the neurology department of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) hospital in 2018. He has been a licensed tattoo artist since 2015, applying acupuncture theory to tattoo placement in exploring the therapeutic potential of the tattooing process. In his practice he...

Dustin is a sociologist who became a tattooer while finishing his PhD at UC Davis. He tattooed thousands of people out of an Oakland street shop and interviewed more than 50 working tattooers. While his upcoming book explains tattooing as an emotional, physical, and moral vocation, the book offers a broader statement on the risks and rewards of human intermingling. He’s calling it “Blood and Light...

"Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg has a background and research focus primarily in forensic psychology, having completed her undergraduate degree in forensic psychology at OntarioTech. Inking of Immunity is made possible by all these people: Chris Lynn - Executive Producer & Co-host Becci Owens - Associate Producer & Co-host Mike Smetana - Associate Producer & Co-host Kira Yancey - Production Manager Find...

Dr Marie Hadley is an early career researcher in intellectual property law and Lecturer at the Newcastle Law School, University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research uses sociolegal methods to investigate the legal, ethical, and cultural dimensions of controversies involving visual imagery and copyright law. Marie’s PhD thesis, 'The Politics of Cultural Appropriation Claims and Law Reform' was on...

Lane Wilcken is a scholar, cultural tattoo practitioner and advocate for the critically endangered cultural practice commonly known as “batok" or the cultural tattoos of the Philippines. He also has studied other related indigenous traditions of the Philippines and greater Pacific with over three decades of research and experience. His mother is from the Philippines and his father is of English an...

John Swierk received his undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and a Ph. D. in Chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University in 2014, where he worked with Tom Mallouk. After leaving Penn State he completed a postdoctoral appointment at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as part of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosyn...

TW: Scalping Mairin Odle is assistant professor of American Studies at the University of Alabama. Her first book, Skin Deep: Tattoos, Scalps, and the Contested Language of Bodies in Early America, is forthcoming from the University of Pennsylvania Press. Her work explores how cross-cultural body modifications in early America remade both physical appearances and ideas about identity. Focusing on i...

Dr. Colin Zestcott is Assistant Professor of Psychology at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, USA and studies the presence, consequences, and reduction of bias in the healthcare domain. His work also applies a specific focus on the stigmatization of tattooed individuals. Here are some links to sources discussed in this episode: - Inking of Immunity is made possible by all these humans:...

Prof. Andrew R. Timming has lectured at Cambridge University, the University of Manchester, the University of St Andrews, the University of Western Australia, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He holds a Ph. D. from Cambridge University and is currently the inaugural Registered Reports Editor at Human Resource Management Journal. For his sins, he lives in Melbourne, Australia and re...

Viren Swami is Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University and Director of the Centre for Psychological Research at Perdana University. His research is focused on body image, physical attractiveness, and mental health. He is the author of over two hundred academic papers and three books, including Attraction Explained (now in its second edition) and The Psychology of Physical Attrac...

Lars Krutak (PhD) is an American anthropologist, photographer, curator, and writer known for his research about Indigenous tattoo and its cultural background. He hosted and produced the 10-part documentary series Tattoo Hunter on the Discovery Channel and is a Research Associate at the Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA). Krutak is the author of more than 90 articles for s...

We're back! Inking of Immunity is made possible by all these humans: Chris Lynn - Executive Producer & Co-host Becci Owens - Associate Producer & Co-host Mike Smetana - Associate Producer & Co-host Kira Yancey - Production Manager Find us on social media on Facebook (inking.of.immunity), Twitter (@inking_immunity), and Instagram (@inking.of.immunity)