I AM A BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGIST WITH EXPERTISE IN SKELETAL BIOLOGY
Conceptually, I want to understand human biology in a social framework. I chose to specialise in skeletal biology because ancient human skeletal remains connect the past with the present. Humans today have extremely fragile bone. Outside of genetics, this poor bone quality is determined by a series of environmental and social factors. I study these in past populations to better understand skeletal plasticity in different contexts so that we can predict and improve human (bone) health in the future.
Technically, I study the micro-anatomy and cell structures of bones and teeth both in humans and animal models to reconstruct the underlying skeletal physiology and growth dynamics. My chief interest is the relationship between skeletal physiology and behaviour. To that end, my research has seen applications in bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, skeletal biology, public health and medicine.
Conceptually, I want to understand human biology in a social framework. I chose to specialise in skeletal biology because ancient human skeletal remains connect the past with the present. Humans today have extremely fragile bone. Outside of genetics, this poor bone quality is determined by a series of environmental and social factors. I study these in past populations to better understand skeletal plasticity in different contexts so that we can predict and improve human (bone) health in the future.
Technically, I study the micro-anatomy and cell structures of bones and teeth both in humans and animal models to reconstruct the underlying skeletal physiology and growth dynamics. My chief interest is the relationship between skeletal physiology and behaviour. To that end, my research has seen applications in bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, skeletal biology, public health and medicine.
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
I have a Bachelor of Science (Hons, 2010) and a PhD in Biological Anthropology (2014) from the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK), where I also held a fixed-term (2013-2014) lectureship in the same discipline. In 2014, I became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). I later worked in medicine (2015-2016) at Imperial College (London, UK) Hammersmith Hospital phenotyping rodent and quail bone as part of a Wellcome-Trust funded project investigating molecular endocrinology of osteoporosis.
I took up a permanent lectureship at the Australian National University (ANU) (Canberra, Australia) in 2016, where I successfully set up a hard tissue microstructure lab. In 2016, I also became an Honorary Research Associate with the Skeletal Biology Research Centre at the University of Kent (UK). I am currently (July 2019 - July 2022) an ARC Research Fellow at the ANU working on my project funded via an Discovery Early Career Researcher Award.
In addition to academia, I worked (2008-2013) as an Assistant Osteologist and later Osteologist for Kent Osteological Research and Analysis (UK) writing up human skeletal analysis professional reports. In 2019 I joined the executive board of the Australasian Society for Human Biology as Treasurer.
I have a Bachelor of Science (Hons, 2010) and a PhD in Biological Anthropology (2014) from the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK), where I also held a fixed-term (2013-2014) lectureship in the same discipline. In 2014, I became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). I later worked in medicine (2015-2016) at Imperial College (London, UK) Hammersmith Hospital phenotyping rodent and quail bone as part of a Wellcome-Trust funded project investigating molecular endocrinology of osteoporosis.
I took up a permanent lectureship at the Australian National University (ANU) (Canberra, Australia) in 2016, where I successfully set up a hard tissue microstructure lab. In 2016, I also became an Honorary Research Associate with the Skeletal Biology Research Centre at the University of Kent (UK). I am currently (July 2019 - July 2022) an ARC Research Fellow at the ANU working on my project funded via an Discovery Early Career Researcher Award.
In addition to academia, I worked (2008-2013) as an Assistant Osteologist and later Osteologist for Kent Osteological Research and Analysis (UK) writing up human skeletal analysis professional reports. In 2019 I joined the executive board of the Australasian Society for Human Biology as Treasurer.