Washington University in St. Louis

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Thesis Title: A comparison of human physiological and morphological responses to hot and cold climates with an emphasis on energy expenditure

About

I received my Bachelor's degree in 2007 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  I majored in Anthropology/Zoology and Cellular and Molecular Biology.  I took part in field work through the University of Murcia, Spain in the summer of 2005, working at two separate cave sites, Cueva Negra and Sima de Las Palomas.

I am currently working towards my PhD in Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.  I have taken part in a number of biomechanics and energetics studies on both humans and apes while at WashU.  However, my research focuses on human physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptation in response to different climates.  For my dissertation I will detail the physiological and morphological response among humans during rigorous physical activity in environmental extremes.  I am working with the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming over multiple climatically variable seasons to accomplish this.  The bulk of my data collection consists of measuring metabolic rates using the doubly labeled water and flex-heart rate methods as well as measuring activity levels and caloric intake.  Additionally, I will determine which, if any, morphological and physiological characteristics can provide the most accurate prediction for human energetic demands in different climates and develop a model to make such predictions.