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This page summarises the outcomes of my Australian Research Council funded Discovery Early Career Researcher Award fellowship that ran between July 2019 and September 2022 ($381,268k). Final reporting is due in September 2023.
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Bone metabolism change with lifestyle in ancient Asia-Pacific populations
This project aimed 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, I aimed to map the ways in which these ancient humans grew and adapted to different lifestyles. The project expected 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 addressed 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, I tested whether bone metabolism has slowed down with lifestyle change over the course of our recent history. Central to this project was the reconstruction of growth and metabolic rates from preserved cell cavities and other histological structures (Figure 2 below on the right) in archaeological bone from various sites across the Asia-Pacific.
This project aimed 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, I aimed to map the ways in which these ancient humans grew and adapted to different lifestyles. The project expected 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 addressed 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, I tested whether bone metabolism has slowed down with lifestyle change over the course of our recent history. Central to this project was the reconstruction of growth and metabolic rates from preserved cell cavities and other histological structures (Figure 2 below on the right) in archaeological bone from various sites across the Asia-Pacific.
What did the taxpayer funded grant cover?
Salary: the ARC salary funds ($81,689/year) covered the majority of my annual salary at the ANU. This allowed me to undertake activities such as:
I produced >300 thin sections of bone. I typically spent two days in the lab each week (9am-5pm). The other two days of the week I spent doing data collection and analysi, and writing. These key research activities occupied 80% of my contract, which translated to four days a week. 20% of my contract was spent on other activities that included 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), and supporting the scientific community (e.g. editorial responsibilites).
Project costs: the ARC project funded ($78,694) various expenses, including:
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 also allowed me to purchase a new microscope that I used in the examination of samples, and also pay early career researchers for research assistance. 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. The remainder of the project funds were 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 received training in histology.
Map of data collection and analysis progress
September 2022 update
September 2022 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.
