Barbara Gerke is a researcher specializing in medical anthropology and Tibetan studies. She directs two projects at the University of Vienna: Potent Substances in Sowa Rigpa and Buddhist Rituals; and Pandemic Narratives of Tibet and the Himalayas. Her works include Crafting Potency: Sowa Rigpa Artisanship across the Himalayas, co-authored with van der Valk, Tidwell, and Blaikie (2025); Taming the Poisonous: Mercury, Toxicity, and Safety in Tibetan Medical Practice (2021); and Long Lives and Untimely Deaths (2012).