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This page reports on the progress of my Australian Research Council funded Discovery Early Career Researcher Award fellowship that runs between July 2019 - October 2022 ($381,268k)
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Bone metabolism change with lifestyle in ancient Asia-Pacific populations
This project aims to address a significant gap in our current knowledge of global change in skeletal health throughout recent human history. By contributing the first bone microstructural data for archaeological humans from across Asia-Pacific, this project aims to map the ways in which these ancient humans grew and adapted to different lifestyles. The project expects to identify new ways of predicting human bone health response to environmental and cultural change, contributing models for the well-being of past, living, and future human generations.
Overview
Building upon my previous research, this project aims to address a significant gap (Figure 1 below on the left) in our current knowledge of global bone metabolism change throughout the Holocene (ca. 11,700 BP – present). By contributing the first bone histology data for archaeological humans from across Asia-Pacific, and comparing them to modern Australian samples, the project will test whether bone metabolism has slowed down with lifestyle change over the course of our recent history. The study of human bones from archaeological contexts offers a wealth of information about our biology and lifestyle adaptation over the course of recent history. Central to this bioarchaeological endeavour is the reconstruction of bone growth and metabolic rates from preserved cell cavities and other histological structures, which would have been vital in sustaining and renewing the once living skeletons of our immediate ancestors (Figure 2 below on the right).
This project aims to address a significant gap in our current knowledge of global change in skeletal health throughout recent human history. By contributing the first bone microstructural data for archaeological humans from across Asia-Pacific, this project aims to map the ways in which these ancient humans grew and adapted to different lifestyles. The project expects to identify new ways of predicting human bone health response to environmental and cultural change, contributing models for the well-being of past, living, and future human generations.
Overview
Building upon my previous research, this project aims to address a significant gap (Figure 1 below on the left) in our current knowledge of global bone metabolism change throughout the Holocene (ca. 11,700 BP – present). By contributing the first bone histology data for archaeological humans from across Asia-Pacific, and comparing them to modern Australian samples, the project will test whether bone metabolism has slowed down with lifestyle change over the course of our recent history. The study of human bones from archaeological contexts offers a wealth of information about our biology and lifestyle adaptation over the course of recent history. Central to this bioarchaeological endeavour is the reconstruction of bone growth and metabolic rates from preserved cell cavities and other histological structures, which would have been vital in sustaining and renewing the once living skeletons of our immediate ancestors (Figure 2 below on the right).
The research has implications for understanding bone health from the past to the present in human societies and expanding the bioarchaeology of Asia-Pacific. These are pressing research goals because the quality of adult bone in living humans is alarmingly poor and associated with an increased prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis. In 2014, The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that 9.4% of Australians over 50 years of age had poor bone health, with 2013 estimates that a 31% increase is likely by 2026. We cannot fully explain this phenomenon without first investigating bone metabolism change and its relationship to different lifestyles and environmental factors in ancient societies.
What has the taxpayer funded grant covered so far?
(Sept 2021 update)
(Sept 2021 update)
Salary: the ARC salary funds ($81,689/year) cover the majority of my annual salary at the ANU, so that I can conduct the research I outlined in my DECRA proposal. This has so far allowed me to undertake activities such as:
Since the start of my grant (July 2019), I have produced >200 thin sections of bone. I typically spend two days in the lab each week (9am-5pm). The other two days of the week I spend doing data collection and analysis, and writing, in my office. That is because once the samples are produced in the lab, I still have to analyse the images taken under the microscope. Once I have data, I can then conduct statistical analysis, and write up the results into a peer reviewed publication. As of Sept 2021, the thin section preparation of all my DECRA samples is complete. I am now, additionally, focused on analyses of modern human autopsy samples through the Melbourne Femur Research Collection. My target is to have *all* DECRA data collected by November 2021. From that point onwards, I will focus on global analyses and large-scale modelling.
These key research activities occupy 80% of my contract, which translates to four days a week. 20% of my contract is spent on other activities that include education (e.g. honours, masters student training, occasional guest lecturing), outreach (e.g. visiting local schools), supervision (e.g. PhD projects), research training (e.g. technical workshops offered to post-docs and academics), scientific community (e.g. the Australasian Society for Human Biology committee where I am Treasuer).
These key research activities occupy 80% of my contract, which translates to four days a week. 20% of my contract is spent on other activities that include education (e.g. honours, masters student training, occasional guest lecturing), outreach (e.g. visiting local schools), supervision (e.g. PhD projects), research training (e.g. technical workshops offered to post-docs and academics), scientific community (e.g. the Australasian Society for Human Biology committee where I am Treasuer).
Project costs: the ARC project funds ($78,694) cover various expenses that allow my project to progress. This has so far included:
The production of bone thin sections requires a suite of lab consumables that need to be regularly replenished. This includes things like chemicals, glass slides, cover slips, glue, epoxy resin. The ARC funds cover these items typically every couple of months. The ARC funds also allowed me to purchase a new microscope that I use in the examination of samples. I will be soon ordering a new cutting saw for the lab.
For some of the sample collection I needed to travel to various institutions (museums or universities), so a portion of the ARC funding went towards flight, accommodation, and subsistence costs. This has been recently varied in my budget as I had the remainder of the samples shipped to me from overseas (due to COVID travel restrictions). However, prior to the pandemic the ARC funds, for example, allowed me to travel to South Africa for the 2019 International Symposium on Paleohistology, where I presented DECRA data to the scientific community. The remainder of the project funds get allocated to things such as open access fees for research articles, data storage hard-drives (because histology images are large and of high resolution), and workshops where participants can receive training in histology and/or exchange ideas and training.
For some of the sample collection I needed to travel to various institutions (museums or universities), so a portion of the ARC funding went towards flight, accommodation, and subsistence costs. This has been recently varied in my budget as I had the remainder of the samples shipped to me from overseas (due to COVID travel restrictions). However, prior to the pandemic the ARC funds, for example, allowed me to travel to South Africa for the 2019 International Symposium on Paleohistology, where I presented DECRA data to the scientific community. The remainder of the project funds get allocated to things such as open access fees for research articles, data storage hard-drives (because histology images are large and of high resolution), and workshops where participants can receive training in histology and/or exchange ideas and training.
Map of data collection and analysis progress
Sept 2021 update
Sept 2021 update
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Legend: Green - data collection/analysis red - manuscript writing stage yellow - published I am predominantly lab based, so most samples that arrive in the lab are excavated by my collaborators, whose help I appreciate wholeheartedly. My lab protocol is to return all residual samples along with thin sections to the origin location of the human remains (e.g. deposit to museum, return to curating university, or the community). This is typically possible/established under collaboration/ethics agreements, but in some cases the collaborating colleagues/ institutions lack infrastructure to curate samples/ thin sections. In those instances we agree to store (until further notice) residual samples and thin sections as part of my thin section library. |
Ethics clearances: ANU Protocol 2019/039, Melbourne Dental School HEAG 1955329, 1954534.