Researcher

My Expertise

I am a biological anthropologist specializing in Mesoamerican bioarchaeology. I investigate long term human-environment interaction and societal resilience among the ancient Maya, from the origins of settled village life to Spanish colonisation. My research addresses the role of inequality in how societies adapt to long term environmental changes which has implications for current efforts to combat global climate change.

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Biological (Physical) Anthropology, Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Americas

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Biography

My research integrates osteological, archaeological and biogeochemical (radiocarbon, isotope, DNA, paleoclimate) data. This work is multidisciplinary in nature and involves close collaboration with local communities, archaeologists and other specialists from a variety of fields.


My Qualifications

BSc (Biomedical Engineering)

PhD (Biological Anthropology)


My Research Activities

My research specifically...view more

My research integrates osteological, archaeological and biogeochemical (radiocarbon, isotope, DNA, paleoclimate) data. This work is multidisciplinary in nature and involves close collaboration with local communities, archaeologists and other specialists from a variety of fields.


My Qualifications

BSc (Biomedical Engineering)

PhD (Biological Anthropology)


My Research Activities

My research specifically examines mortuary practices, body modification, diet and health data in skeletal remains from Maya archaeological sites in Yucatan, Tabasco and Chiapas, Mexico.


My Research Supervision


Areas of supervision

Biological Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, Mesoamerican Archaeology, Anatomy


My Engagement


My Teaching

When I teach anatomy, I leverage my background in biological anthropology to nurture student curiosity about why the human body has the structure that it does. Rather than rote memorization of dry lists of facts, I teach students to approach the subject scientifically through the critical evaluation of evidence. Through hands-on learning with fossil casts and donor specimens as well as a variety of digital resources, students learn the evolutionary origins of different aspects of human anatomy and their clinical implications, modern human variability and the plasticity of the human body.

Courses taught:

  • ANAT2521 Biological Anthropology
  • ANAT2511 Fundamentals of Anatomy
  • ANAT2111 Introductory Anatomy
  • ANAT2451 Functional Anatomy for Health and Exercise Science
  • ANAT3131 Functional Anatomy of the Head, Neck and Back
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Location

Wallace Wurth Room 210

Contact

+61 (2) 9065 1808