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Department of Archaeology

 

Biography

I am a human osteologist, specialising in palaeopathology and palaeodemography.

2020-Present.  PhD Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge.

2018-2019.  MSc Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology (Distinction), The University of Sheffield.  Dissertation: ‘Childhood Stress and Immune Dysregulation:  A Life-Course Approach to Frailty within Pre- and Post-Industrial Northern Populations’.  My work was nominated for the Royal Archaeological Institute’s Master’s Dissertation Prize, 2019.

2015-2018.  BSc(Hons) Biomedical Science (Class I), University of Birmingham.  Dissertation: ‘Non-Accidental Injuries in Children:  A Gender Focused Analysis of Patterns, Typology and Variance’.

Research

My doctoral research focuses on the epidemiology of plague, and explores the nature of plague mortality in the context of medieval England.  By assessing survivorship and mortality risk within skeletal assemblages from ‘plague pits’ and associated attritional medieval cemeteries, my work considers whether certain groups were more susceptible to plague or if it was a more indiscriminate killer.  My research utilises osteological data and historical records to attempt elucidation of any biological, socio-economic and environmental risk factors that may have influenced survivorship during pre-industrial plague epidemics throughout England.

My work also explores the expression of catastrophic mortality events within ‘typical’ attritional cemeteries, and how this influences our interpretation of the populations associated with such sites.

More generally, I am interested in all things relating to the manifestation of disease within past populations.  Following my BSc research, I also maintain a strong interest in forensic anthropology and biology.

Teaching and Supervisions

Research supervision: 

Supervisors: Professor John Robb, Dr Piers Mitchell

Other Professional Activities

Member of Newnham College

Affiliations

  • Royal Society of Biology, Associate Member (AMRSB)
  • British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology
  • British Association for Forensic Anthropology
  • Chartered Institute for Archaeologists
  • Paleopathology Association

The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences 

Job Titles

PhD student in Biological Anthropology

General Info

Not available for consultancy
Research Expertise / Fields of study: 
Osteoarchaeology
Human Population Biology and Health

Contact Details

erf38 [at] cam.ac.uk

Affiliations

Person keywords: 
Palaeodemography
Palaeoepidemiology
Palaeopathology
Plague
Osteology
Subjects: 
Biological Anthropology
Geographical areas: 
Britain
Periods of interest: 
Medieval