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.
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 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
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1665-8985