Jarrel De Matas
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Jarrel De Matas | |
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| Born | 1990 (age 35–36) Trinidad and Tobago |
| Nationality | Trinidadian |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
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Jarrel De Matas (born 1990) is a Trinidadian scholar, writer, and professor of literature in the Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is known for his interdisciplinary work at the intersection of Caribbean literature, science fiction, health humanities, and bioethics. His writing has appeared in national newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago, where he regularly contributes op-eds on democracy, equity, and cultural politics.
Early life and education
Jarrel was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. He completed his undergraduate (BA - First Class Honors) and masters's degree (MA - with Distinction_ at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, with a focus on literature and cultural studies. He later pursued further academic training in the United States earning a PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He developed an interest in the ethical and humanistic dimensions of medicine and science fiction. As of 2024, he is pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research and Epidemiology through UWI’s Global Campus.
Academic career
De Matas has held academic posts at Smith College, Amherst College, and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In 2024, he was appointed Assistant Professor in Bioethics and Health Humanities at UTMB,[1] where he teaches the graduate seminar Diagnosing Society Through Science Fiction. He also serves on multiple institutional committees, including admissions, AI ethics, and faculty hiring. Jarrel is currently an assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch,[2] where he teaches courses on science fiction, bioethics, and health humanities. His graduate seminar, Science Fiction and Health, explores topics such as genetic engineering, transgender health, and speculative ethics. His research often draws on postcolonial theory, with a focus on Caribbean futurism, Afrofuturism, and the speculative imagination as tools for social critique.
Research and writing
Jarrel’s work examines the role of speculative fiction in addressing health injustices, particularly in marginalized communities. He has published scholarship on authors such as Nalo Hopkinson and Rita Indiana, exploring themes like racial identity, skin tone transformation, and ecological crisis in speculative literature. He is currently writing a chapter on Tentacle by Rita Indiana for a forthcoming volume on futurisms in global science fiction, proposing actionable transgender health policies for the Caribbean.
De Matas’s scholarly work explores the bioethical dimensions of race, gender, and posthumanism in speculative fiction, especially from the Caribbean and Global South. His research has appeared in journals such as the American Journal of Bioethics, Journal of Medical Ethics, SFRA Review, and Anthurium. His doctoral dissertation, Caribbean Scientia: Science, Reimagined through Science Fiction, argues for speculative fiction as a site of Caribbean epistemological resistance and reinvention.
He is also active in scholarly editing, having served as Managing Editor of Paperbark Literary Magazine, and is a reviewer for journals including Journal of Medical Humanities and Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. In addition to his academic writing, Jarrel is a public intellectual in Trinidad and Tobago. His op-eds appear in leading newspapers, where he comments on democratic governance, LGBTQ+ rights, and education reform.
Activism and public engagement
Jarrel is the founder and executive director of All Inclusive TT, a youth-focused nonprofit organization in Trinidad and Tobago dedicated to anti-bullying education and inclusivity in schools.[3] The NGO focuses on education equity and anti-bullying advocacy. The organization recently launched a national anti-bullying training manual for teachers in Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at creating more inclusive and affirming school environments.[4]
De Matas is a regular op-ed contributor to Trinidad and Tobago Express, Caribbean Insight, and The Corporate Sustainability Review, writing on topics such as climate change, democracy, and LGBTQ+ rights.[5] He was a COP28 Journalism Fellow with Caribbean Climate Tracker and has appeared in interviews on WESN and TTT discussing Caribbean youth, voting, and environmental policy.[6]
Publications
Selected Journal Articles De Matas, J., Wang, J., & Gupta, V. (2025). “Narrative Transparency in AI-Driven Consent.” American Journal of Bioethics, 25(4), 136–138.
De Matas, J., McGuire, A., & Yasin, H. (2025). “Embracing Epistemic Humility: Rethinking Psychedelic Exceptionalism.” American Journal of Bioethics, 25(1), 98–100.
De Matas, J., Oguagha, G., & Amuzu, F. (2024). “Expanding Community, Vitality and What Is Permissible: African Cultural Knowledge and Afro-Caribbean Religions in Bioethics.” Journal of Medical Ethics.
Books and Edited Volumes Opinions in Review: 2023 and 2024, Amazon Publishing Company.[7]
Book Chapters “Emulating Posthumanity in Lucky Wander Boy,” in Ready Reader One, LSU Press, 2024.
“Growing Up Speculative,” in Caribbean Children’s Literature Vol. 2, UP Mississippi, 2023.
“Monsters of the Caribbean,” in Horror Fiction of the Global South, Bloomsbury, 2021.
Honors and fellowships
2025: Outstanding Editorial or Opinion Piece, Caribbean Climate Tracker[8]
2022: Mellon Fellowship, UMass Amherst
2019–2021: Social Justice and Technology Fellowships, UMass Amherst
References
- ↑ "Dr. Jarrel De Matas appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch". 16 September 2024.
- ↑ "Jarrel De Matas, PhD".
- ↑ "Trinidad and Tobago Nonprofit Organization". All Inclusive TT.
- ↑ "Launch of Anti-Bullying Training Manual".
- ↑ "Muck Rack | for journalists and public relations". Muck Rack.
- ↑ "Youtube". YouTube. 30 December 2023.
- ↑ "TTT Live Online".
- ↑ "LoopTT".
External links
This article "Jarrel De Matas" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.