Luca Fiorenza

Luca Fiorenza is an Associate Professor at Monash University's Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology, affiliated with the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. He also holds an adjunct position as Senior Lecturer in Palaeoanthropology at the University of New England (Australia). His research focuses on functional morphology of the masticatory apparatus in humans and primates, particularly investigating how diet influenced human evolution. Fiorenza leads the Palaeodiet Research Lab (www.palaeodiet.org) and has published in high-impact journals like Nature, Journal of Human Evolution, and American Journal of Physical Anthropology. He has attracted over $3.1M in research funding, including multiple ARC-Discovery Projects.

Research Interests: Functional morphology of the masticatory system, Neanderthal dietary adaptations, biomechanical analyses of dental structures, and the evolution of human dietary strategies. His work integrates digital anatomy, 3D modeling, and finite element analysis to explore evolutionary and ecological adaptations.

Recent Research Trends: Fiorenza's 2024 publications emphasize Neanderthal dietary habits, biomechanical studies of dentition, and applications of machine learning in dental prosthetics. Earlier work includes investigations into Australopithecus diets and the functional implications of craniofacial morphology.

• Awards:
  • Australia's Top Researcher (2020)
  • Monash BDI Awards for Outstanding Achievement (2019)
• Grants & Funding: Four ARC-Discovery Projects totaling over $3.1M AUD, including studies on human dietary transitions and Neanderthal biomechanics.

Labs & Teams: Director of the Palaeodiet Research Lab, collaborating internationally on projects involving European and Australian institutions. Active in training workshops on cranio-dental functional morphology and digital anatomy techniques.