Bio
Dr. Nelson Varas-Díaz is a social-community psychologist and a professor in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. His current research examines the role of extremity in society through the lenses of health and illness, natural and human-made disasters, and communal cultural practices. His research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on documenting: 1) physician migration and its impact on healthcare systems in disaster-affected contexts, 2) the role of energy independence through solar panels in managing chronic diseases within marginalized communities, and 3) communal acupuncture as a collective health-sustaining strategy. This work is summarized in his numerous articles published in journals such as Social Science & Medicine and Global Public Health, his recent book On Extremity: From Music to Images, Words, and Experiences (Lexington, 2023), and his forthcoming book The Ethics of Extremity: On Hearing, Seeing, and Feeling Each Other (Lexington, 2025).
In addition to his health-related research, Dr. Varas-Díaz investigates the concept of extremity in culture, particularly in relation to music and the arts. His recent publications in this area include Seeing Metal Music in Latin America and the Caribbean (Lexington, 2024) and The Bad Bunny Enigma: Culture, Resistance, and Uncertainty (Lexington, 2025). He is also deeply committed to employing visual methods, such as photovoice and documentary filmmaking, as communal research strategies. His documentary films have earned over 100 laurels at international film festivals.
Selected Publications
Latest Books:
Varas-Díaz, N., Scott, N. & Bardine, B. (2023). On Extremity: From Music to Images, Words, and Experiences. UK: Lexington.
Varas-Díaz, N. & Venkatesh, V. (2025). The Ethics of Extremity: On Seeing, Hearing, and Feeling Each Other. UK: Lexington.
Varas-Díaz, N., Nevárez Araújo, D. (2024). Seeing Metal Music in Latin America and the Caribbean. United Kingdom: Intellect.
Rodríguez Madera, S., Varas-Díaz, N., Nevárez Araújo, D. (2024). The Bad Bunny Enigma: Culture, Resistance and Uncertainty. UK: Lexington.
Latest Films:
The Bee: A Reflection on Women, Land and Occupation
La Oreja
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Latest Publications in Academic Journals
Varas-Díaz, N., Rodríguez-Madera, S., Padilla, M., Rivera-Bustelo, K., Mercado-Rios, C., Rivera-Custodio, J., Matiz-Reyes, A., Santiago-Santiago, A., Gonzalez-Font, Y., Vertovec, J.,Ramos-Pibernus, A., & Grove, K. (2023). On leaving: Coloniality and Physician Migration in Puerto Rico. Social Sciences & Medicine, 325.
Varas-Díaz, N., Nevárez Araújo, D. & Miranda, D.L. (2024). A Darkened Caribbean: Metal Music’s Imagery as Decolonial Truth-Telling. Hispanic Issues, 32, 102-126.
Varas-Díaz, N., Padilla, M., Rodríguez-Madera, S., Grove, K., Contreras, V., Rivera, S., Vargas-Molina, Ricardo & Marzán, M. (2022). Decolonial Visual Resistance as a Public Health Strategy in Post-María Puerto Rico. Journal of Political Visual Communication, 8(1), 29-65.
Areas of Expertise
Extremity, social stigma, health, music, and visual research methods
Degrees
PhD, University of Puerto Rico, 2002