PEOPLE

ALISON MURRAY (MACINTOSH)
Assistant Professor
PhD University of Cambridge
My research bridges the disciplines of biological anthropology, kinesiology, and engineering in order to better understand (i) the evolutionary mechanisms driving trends in human phenotypic and musculoskeletal diversity, and (ii) the functional and energetic implications of this variation. To do so, my work combines the study of human skeletal variation in the archaeological record, the experimental study of living humans, and musculoskeletal computer modeling.
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HELEN KURKI
Associate Professor
​PhD University of Toronto
I am a biological anthropologist whose research centers on morphological variation in recent humans and the evolutionary, cultural, and developmental mechanisms that have produced it, as a means of understanding the processes of hominin evolution and adaptability in general. My main approach to this research is through analysis of functional anatomy and skeletal biology in humans, using both traditional osteological methods and 3D modeling of the skeleton.
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STEPHANIE CALCE
Senior Lab Instructor/Adjunct Assistant Professor
​PhD University of Victoria
I am a biological anthropologist and I study age variation in the human skeleton. My research looks at factors that affect the rate of bone remodeling in adults, such as osteoarthritis at varied skeletal joint locations, which I study in both living humans and archaeological populations through 3D imaging and traditional osteological approaches. This research improves our ability to estimate age-at-death from bone's physical appearance and investigates the process of skeletal aging in both the past and present.
Follow this link to my personal webpage.
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SARAH-LOUISE DECRAUSAZ
Adjunct Assistant Professor
PhD University of Cambridge
I am a biological anthropologist and I study the human skeleton and human growth. My research focuses on the human pelvis - how its growth interacts with the development of muscle and fat tissue throughout puberty and into adulthood, and how this may impact childbirth in living humans. I work with medical imaging, clinical health data and traditional osteometric methods.
Follow these links to my science communication YouTube channel, Humans in 5 and to my personal webpage.
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STUDENTS
Current
MARLA MACKINNON
Thesis title: ‘Human skeletal variation: Adaptive responses during growth of the bony pelvis’
PhD Candidate
RAE DIAS
Master's Candidate
Thesis title: ‘Climbing as a selective pressure shaping the human gluteus maximus: An investigation using musculoskeletal modeling’
AMELIA FOX
Thesis title: TBD
Master's Candidate
VICTORIA STUART
Thesis title: TBD
Master's Candidate
NETANYA KARMEL
Research Assistant
Project: 'Experimental approaches to understanding the evolution of human phenotypic diversity'
Funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant and supervised by Dr. Alison Murray
ELLIS
MARTISKAINEN
Research Intern
Project: 'Bone-formers and bone-losers: Factors in assessing age-at-death in human remains'
Funded by a Valerie Kuehne Undergraduate Research Award (VKURA) and supervised by Dr. Stephanie Calce and Dr. Yin-Man Lam
Past
MARINA MA
Project title: 'Soft-tissue decomposition in coastal clay environments'
Honours Student
DANIKA MORPAK
Honours Student
Project title: 'The influence of developmental parameters on body size and composition: An analysis of sex differences in life history trajectories'
ISABELLE RUTHERFORD
Project title: 'Shape change in the metaphyseal region of the proximal femur during growth: Plasticity or constraint?'
Honours Student
LINDSEY WARSHAWSKI
Project title: 'Primates and humans in shared landscapes: A biocultural approach to primate conservation'
Honours Student
JENA BJOLA
Project title: 'High-velocity sharp force trauma: An experimental study using modern archery equipment'
Directed Studies Student

COLLABORATORS

the GAB LAB
University of Victoria Department of Anthropology

JOSH GILES
University of Victoria Department of Mechanical Engineering

LESLEY HARRINGTON
University of Alberta Department of Anthropology

DANNY LONGMAN
Loughborough University School of Sport, Exercise and Health Science

BENJAMIN OSIPOV
Postdoctoral Fellow
UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

ADNAN SHEIK
University of British Columbia Department of Radiology

JAY STOCK
Western University Department of Anthropology

CARA WALL-SCHEFFLER
Seattle Pacific University Department of Biology
JONATHAN WELLS
University College London Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health

DARLENE WESTON
University of British Columbia Department of Anthropology