Daniel Moerman
American medical anthropologist and ethnobotanist (1941–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Ellis Moerman (July 21, 1941 – January 9, 2026) was an American medical anthropologist and ethnobotanist, and an emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.[2] He is known for his work relating to Native American ethnobotany and the placebo effect.
Daniel Ellis Moerman | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 21, 1941 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 2026 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Work in ethnobotany and the placebo effect |
| Awards | University of Michigan Distinguished Faculty Governance Award (1991)[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medical anthropology |
| Institutions | University of Michigan-Dearborn |
| Thesis | Extended family and popular medicine on St. Helena Island, S.C.: adaptations to marginality (1974) |
Education and career
Moerman was born in Paterson, New Jersey.[3] He received his AB, MA and PhD degrees in anthropology from the University of Michigan in 1963, 1965, and 1974, respectively.[1] He became a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1984, and was appointed the William E. Stirton Professor of Anthropology at the university in 1994.[1]
Research
Moerman spent over 25 years developing a catalogue of over 4,000 plants used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes.[4][5] He has also published studies on the placebo effect, one of which found that more people with stomach ulcers were healed when taking four placebos per day than when taking two.[6]
Death
Moerman died on January 9, 2026, at the age of 84.[7]
Awards and honors
In 1991, Moerman became the first faculty member at the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus to receive the university's Distinguished Faculty Governance Award.[8]