Graeme William Walter is the Disney Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. He also serves as a Professorial Fellow at St John's College, Cambridge. Previously, he held roles such as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Resources) at the University of Leicester and Head of the School of Archaeological Studies there. His academic journey began with a BA in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Cambridge (1965-1969), followed by PhD research at St John's College, Cambridge (1969-1972). Research Interests: European and North African prehistory Origins and spread of agriculture Landscape archaeology Pastoralism and desertification processes Human dispersals and behavioral evolution Awards and Honors: 2005 Dan David Prize (Past Dimension) 2000 James R. Wiseman Book Award 1999 Fellow of the British Academy 1979 Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London Grants and Projects: Recipient of major grants including a €2.5M European Research Council Advanced Grant (2009-2014) for North African prehistory studies and a Leverhulme Trust grant (2014-2016) investigating resilience of Neanderthals and modern humans to climate change in SW Asia. Leadership and Affiliations: Directed the British School at Rome (1984–1988) Key figure in archaeological institutions like the McDonald Institute
Radu Iovita is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at New York University. Previously, he held positions at the University of Tübingen (until 2023) and the Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology in Germany. His research focuses on Paleolithic archaeology, human-environmental interactions, and stone tool technology, with a specific emphasis on the Eurasian loess steppe. He leads the EU-funded PALAEOSILKROAD project in Kazakhstan, investigating human dispersals during the Late Pleistocene. His Anthrotopography lab combines microscopic analysis of tool use and remote sensing to reconstruct past landscapes. Education: PhD in Anthropology (University of Pennsylvania, 2008), MPhil in Archaeology (University of Cambridge, 2002), AB in Anthropology (Harvard University, 2001). Key grants include an ERC Starting Grant (2017–2022). Research interests span lithic technology, experimental archaeology, and geoarchaeological methods. Recent work includes discoveries of Paleolithic sites in Kazakhstan, studies on Neanderthal adhesive use, and AI-driven analysis of use-wear patterns. Collaborations involve institutions like ETH Zurich and the University of Tübingen. He is actively involved in field projects in Central Asia and lab-based experimental studies.
Dr. April Nowell is a Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Victoria's Faculty of Social Sciences, specializing in Paleolithic archaeology, cognitive archaeology, and the archaeology of children. Currently on leave, she leads internationally recognized research projects across Europe, the Levant, Australia, and Africa while actively accepting graduate students. She earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and has developed expertise in Neanderthal lifeways, Paleolithic art, and hominin life histories. Her academic journey reflects deep engagement with both theoretical frameworks and fieldwork across diverse geographical contexts. Nowell's research examines how prehistoric societies structured knowledge transmission, childhood development, and symbolic expression. Her groundbreaking work on finger flutings in Australian caves reveals children's roles in Paleolithic storytelling traditions, while her analysis of Levantine wetland ecosystems demonstrates how Pleistocene humans adapted to environmental shifts. She challenges conventional narratives about Neanderthal cognition and has pioneered methodologies for reconstructing prehistoric childhood experiences through skeletal and material evidence. Her recent publications show consistent innovation in archaeological methodology, particularly in digital documentation of rock art and interdisciplinary approaches to human development. Key trends include integrating bioarchaeological data with cognitive models, examining material culture as evidence of social learning, and analyzing environmental archives to understand human dispersal patterns. Her scientific recognition includes: 2023 EAA Book Prize for Growing Up in the Ice Age: Fossil and Archaeological Evidence of the Lived Lives of Plio-Pleistocene Children Nowell secures major research funding including Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grants supporting her Azraq Basin project in Jordan and Koonalda Cave research in Australia. She mentors graduate students in Paleolithic theory while collaborating with Indigenous communities and international scholars on field projects spanning five continents. Her work bridges academic research and public engagement through TEDx talks and media appearances examining science communication. She directs field programs at Jordan's Azraq Basin wetlands and Australia's Koonalda Cave, working with multidisciplinary teams including geochronologists, bioarchaeologists, and Traditional Owners to investigate Pleistocene human adaptation and cultural transmission.
April Wei is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computational Biology at Cornell University, where she leads the Wei Lab in Computational Genetics. Her research focuses on developing scalable computational methods to analyze massive genomic datasets, addressing fundamental questions in evolutionary processes and human genetics. B.Sc. in Biology, Fudan University (2013) Ph.D. in Computational Biology, University of Michigan (2018) Postdoctoral Research at UC Berkeley and UCLA Joined Cornell in January 2022 The Wei Lab explores diverse areas such as population genetics , computational genetics , and natural selection , with applications in human evolution , gene conversion , and complex traits . Their work leverages graph-based data structures and deep learning to improve genomic analysis scalability. April's research trajectory, as reflected in her publications, emphasizes genomic data compression , selective sweep detection , and ancestral recombination graph (ARG) analysis . Her lab's outputs span algorithm development for biobank-scale data, evolutionary modeling of overlapping genes, and statistical frameworks for gene conversion landscapes. April mentors a team of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers, including current advisees Ziqing Pan, Meera Chotai, Jinmin Li, Aditya Girish, and Lin Yuan, with notable alumni such as Siddharth Avadhanam (2023). The lab is supported by NIH and NSF grants. Lab culture prioritizes collaboration , inclusivity , and scientific curiosity , with social activities like lab barbecues, game nights, and group hikes. April is also a passionate fan of Star Wars and water sports.
Gideon Hartman is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Connecticut, where he conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of paleoenvironmental reconstruction, plant and animal eco-physiology, anthropology, and archaeology. His work primarily employs stable isotope methods to reconstruct past environments, human mobility patterns, paleodiets, and ancient economic systems. Dr. Hartman received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2008. His educational foundation in anthropology and archaeological science has enabled his innovative approach to stable isotope analysis. Rather than treating isotopic values as static markers, he investigates the mechanisms causing variability in stable isotope ratios as they move along foodwebs from soil and atmosphere to plants and then to animals and humans. Hartman's research program uniquely begins in the contemporary world to establish principles that can be reliably applied to archaeological settings. His work spans diverse geographical regions including the Eastern Mediterranean, Levant, Jordan Valley, and Armenian Highlands, with temporal coverage from the Middle Pleistocene to the Early Bronze Age. He has made significant contributions to understanding how environmental factors like water availability, temperature, and soil conditions affect isotopic signatures in modern ecosystems, creating robust models for archaeological interpretation. His publication record demonstrates consistent productivity in high-impact journals, with research trends showing increasing sophistication in multi-isotope approaches applied to complex archaeological questions about pastoralism, trade networks, human migration, and human-environment interactions. His work increasingly integrates zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and geochemical evidence to build comprehensive pictures of past societies. As director of the Stable Isotope Preparation Lab at UConn, Hartman leads a research team that processes and analyzes samples from archaeological sites worldwide. His laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, anthropologists, geoscientists, and biologists seeking to apply isotopic methods to their research questions. His work has been instrumental in refining methodologies for interpreting strontium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope data in archaeological contexts, particularly regarding animal and human mobility patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Elena Irene Zavala serves as an Assistant Professor in the Section of Forensic Genetics and Guest Researcher at the Globe Institute, Section for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Her work bridges forensic science with paleogenetic research, focusing on ancient human DNA analysis and population genetics. Dr. Zavala's research interests span ancient DNA analysis, paleogenetics, forensic genetics, human evolution, population genetics, archaeogenetics, and anthropological genetics. Her work demonstrates a consistent focus on understanding human evolutionary history through genetic analysis, with particular emphasis on migration patterns, adaptation to diverse environments, and the development of methodological approaches for analyzing degraded DNA samples. She has made significant contributions to understanding Neanderthal admixture timing and early human dispersal into Europe. Her publication record shows a strong trend toward high-impact interdisciplinary research, with numerous publications in Nature and other top-tier journals. Her work frequently involves international collaborations across multiple institutions, reflecting the global nature of paleogenetic research. A notable pattern in her recent publications is the integration of multiple analytical approaches (genomic, isotopic, archaeological) to reconstruct human history. Young Investigator Award (2019) Miller Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022) Peter M. Schneider ISFG Fellowship (2023) Novo Nordisk Hallas-Møller Emerging Investigator Grant (2024) Dr. Zavala has secured significant research funding including the prestigious Novo Nordisk Hallas-Møller Emerging Investigator Grant in 2024, indicating strong institutional support for her research program. Her work has garnered substantial attention with multiple publications being picked up by hundreds of news outlets and referenced across social media platforms and academic networks. As a Guest Researcher at the Globe Institute's Section for Geogenetics, Dr. Zavala collaborates with interdisciplinary teams focused on ancient DNA and human evolutionary history. Her research often involves large international collaborations, as evidenced by the extensive author lists on her publications, suggesting she works within substantial research networks dedicated to paleogenetic investigations.
Maria Mäkelä is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Literature and Head of the Literary Studies Degree Programme at Tampere University's Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds a PhD and is a Docent in Narrative Theory. Her research focuses on narrative theory, digital media storytelling, and the interplay between personal experience and collective narratives in social media environments. She leads the Authors of the Story Economy consortium (2024–2028), funded by the Research Council of Finland. Her expertise includes comparative literature, narratology, and the analysis of viral storytelling dynamics. She co-founded the Narrare Centre for Interdisciplinary Narrative Studies and has published widely on topics like climate change narratives, political storytelling, and the ethics of personal experience sharing. Key projects include the Dangers of Narrative initiative, which critiques the risks of instrumental storytelling in public discourse. Mäkelä's work bridges literary theory with social science, emphasizing the societal impact of narrative forms. Her articles explore how social media transforms storytelling into a didactic force, often distorting intended ethical and political messages. She also investigates medieval exempla in contrast to modern digital narratives, highlighting enduring patterns of narrative authorization. Grants and leadership roles include the Research Council of Finland’s 2024–2028 consortium, academic board memberships, and editorial roles in journals like Style and Partial Answers . Her interdisciplinary approach has influenced fields from information systems to welfare studies, emphasizing narrative’s role in shaping collective understanding. Lab/Team affiliations include the Narrare Centre and collaborations with institutions like the University of Turku and IULM University. Her research underscores the need for story-critical approaches to address narrative pitfalls in contemporary media environments.
Dr. Emma Pomeroy is an Associate Professor in the Evolution of Health, Diet and Disease at the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology. She is an active researcher with expertise spanning anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and paleoanthropology. Her work combines human bioarchaeology with human biology and paleoanthropology, conducting research across South America, South Asia, Europe, and the Near East. Dr. Pomeroy's research focuses on understanding how past and present variation in human health, growth, and morphology is influenced by evolutionary processes including adaptation, neutral variation, and plasticity, as well as interactions with natural and social environments. Her specific interests in reproduction include the evolution and adaptation of the human pelvis, impacts of evolutionary and environmental factors on pelvic morphology and birth complications, and how early life conditions affect later growth and health which may influence birth complication risks. A significant portion of her recent work has investigated the evolutionary origins of low lean tissue mass among contemporary South Asians, which is implicated in elevated risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Dr. Pomeroy leads important archaeological projects including serving as the paleoanthropologist at renewed excavations at Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan since 2016, where her team has made significant new Neanderthal discoveries. She also co-directs the Old St Bernard's Hospital Project in Gibraltar with Dr. Kevin Lane and Professor Clive Finlayson, investigating health, diet, and migration among skeletons from a 16th-17th century mariner's hospital. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on human skeletal variation, Neanderthal studies, human adaptation, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Her work spans multiple geographical regions including the Americas, Europe, Mesopotamia and the Near East, and South Asia, examining periods from the Paleolithic through to contemporary populations. Dr. Pomeroy contributes to interdisciplinary research networks including Cambridge Reproduction, where she investigates the evolutionary aspects of human reproduction. Her methodological approaches integrate skeletal biology, archaeological science, and evolutionary theory to address fundamental questions about human variation and adaptation.
Dr. Jing Fu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Monash University. He holds a PhD in nano/microfabrication processes for biomedical applications from Pennsylvania State University (2008). His research focuses on nanoengineering tools, particularly Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology for imaging and manipulating single cells. He is a principle scientist in collaborative projects with CSIRO MCN and Australian Synchrotron, exploring nanomaterial dynamics in immune cells. His expertise spans FIB/SEM/TEM, cryogenic environments, and multidisciplinary biomedical engineering. Education: M.Eng/Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, USA (2008). Postdoctoral Fellowship at NIH (2008–2010). Joined Monash Faculty of Engineering in 2010. Research Interests: 3D visualization of HIV viral entry, compositional mapping of mammalian cells, and FIB-driven correlative imaging. Projects include '3D Cryo-FIBSEM Imaging Facility' (2015–2017) and 'Targeting NDM-producing superbugs' (2013–2015). Current collaborations involve tooth enamel evolution studies (2025–2028). Key Contributions: Over 90 publications, including work on graphene encapsulation for APT, ion beam fabrication of nanostructures, and polymyxin antibiotic efficacy. His research aligns with UN SDGs for health and innovation. Grants & Awards: ARC and NHMRC funding for projects on superbug targeting and imaging facilities. Active in multidisciplinary teams addressing biomedical challenges.
Rick Horan is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University (MSU), part of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. He holds a Ph.D., M.A. from Pennsylvania State University, and dual B.S. degrees from Appalachian State University. His research focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, particularly the interplay between economic and ecological systems. Key areas include endangered species management, invasive species control, wildlife disease dynamics, and agricultural pollution policy. He has published in top journals like PNAS, American Economic Review, and the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Horan has served as Managing Editor of Resource and Energy Economics (2010–13), Associate Editor roles for American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Natural Resource Modeling , and contributed to a National Academy of Sciences report on environmental policy. His teaching includes Advanced Natural Resource Economics and Microeconomic Theory analysis. Research highlights include modeling ecological thresholds, bioeconomic approaches to species management, and integrating human behavior into epidemiological models. His work has been featured in media outlets like The Economist and Forbes. Horan’s advising and grants focus on interdisciplinary solutions for environmental challenges. His labs and research teams address complex issues like agri-environmental service coordination and sustainable land-use strategies. Current research explores policy mechanisms for balancing economic activities with ecosystem preservation.
Alexandra Schuh is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Human Origins at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, where she has worked since July 2023. Her research integrates evolutionary anthropology with developmental biology to investigate facial bone growth patterns across hominids. Her academic training includes a Ph.D. in Human Evolution from the Max Planck Institute (2016-2020), a Master's in Biological Anthropology and Prehistory from the University of Bordeaux (2012-2014), and a Bachelor's in Cellular Biology and Physiology from the University of Strasbourg and University of Montreal (2009-2012). She also completed a Fyssen postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Bordeaux (2022-2023). Dr. Schuh's research focuses on facial evolution , ontogeny , Neanderthal anatomy , and the cellular and genetic mechanisms of bone modelling . She employs advanced 3D imaging, geometric morphometrics, and bone histology to analyze developmental processes in human and primate facial skeletons, with particular emphasis on comparative studies between modern humans, Neanderthals, and chimpanzees. Her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory in hominid facial development research, combining microscopic bone analysis with evolutionary morphology. Key themes include the evolutionary roots of human facial gracilization, midfacial growth patterns, and the developmental integration of facial structures across ontogeny and phylogeny. Her scientific recognition includes: Fyssen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021) Poster prize at the 1841st Annual meetings of the Anthropological Society of Paris (2016) Dr. Schuh has secured significant research funding including the FACCTS program award ($25,000, 2023) for skull evolution studies and the Grand Projet de Recherche HUMAN PAST (€5,755, 2022). She collaborates with leading researchers like Philipp Gunz and Shara Freidline on projects examining primate skull development and facial gracilization through the DevCel initiative. As an active member of the Department of Human Origins, she contributes to interdisciplinary efforts integrating developmental biology into paleoanthropological frameworks, advancing methodological approaches in fossil hominin analysis through cutting-edge imaging and morphometric techniques.
Ron Naiweld is a CNRS Research Fellow at the Centre de Recherches Historiques (CRH) under the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) , specializing in Jewish Studies . His 2023 HDR defense on The manifestations of the biblical myth in history solidified his expertise in historical materialism and rabbinic ideology. He teaches courses such as Antisemitism, Anti-Antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Jewish Studies: God, History, Power , reflecting his focus on ethical frameworks and collective identities. Education : Doctorate in History (EHESS, 2005–2009), DEA in Jewish Studies (EHESS, 2004–2005), MA in Sociology (Tel Aviv U, 2002–2004), BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (Tel Aviv U, 1999–2003). His research bridges biblical myths with socio-political dynamics, evident in works like A Historical-Materialist Reading of Genesis 1-4 (2024) and The Age of the Parakletos (2021). Articles explore themes like the Rabbinization of societies, Neanderthal Jew mythologies, and Talmudic responses to Roman hegemony. While no students or awards are listed, his collaborative editing of Diversity and Rabbinization (2021) highlights his role in advancing late antique Jewish studies.
Prof. Katerina Harvati is a Professor of Paleoanthropology at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and Director of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment. She holds adjunct positions at the University of Bergen and leads interdisciplinary research on human evolution, including Neanderthal biology, modern human origins, and virtual anthropology methods. Her work integrates genetics, morphology, and environmental data to explore hominin dispersals and adaptation. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology (City University of New York, 2001), Habilitation (University of Tübingen, 2009). Former roles include Assistant Professor at NYU (2001–2004) and Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute (2004–2009). Research focuses on Neanderthal paleobiology, primate evolution, and Southeast European paleoanthropology. Fieldwork in Greece has yielded key findings on Middle Pleistocene hominins and megafauna interactions. Her ERC grants include PaGE (2012–2016), CROSSROADS (2017–2022), and FIRSTSTEPS (2022–2028). Awards: Leibniz Prize (2021), Baden-Württemberg Research Prize (2014), Shanghai Archaeology Award (2023) Leadership: ESHE President, Editor-in-Chief of PaleoAnthropology , Co-director of the DFG Centre 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools' Labs/Teams: Senckenberg Centre, Tübingen’s Archaeological Sciences Institute, and collaborations in Greece and Norway. Current projects include the MEGAPAL Survey in the Megalopolis Basin and studies on hominin-environment interactions.
Krist Vaesen is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy of Innovation at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), within the Department of Philosophy & Ethics in the School of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences. He is a founding member of the Eindhoven Meta-Science Center (META/e) and maintains an external position as a Research Fellow at Leiden University's Human Origins Group, Faculty of Archaeology. Dr. Vaesen earned his degrees in Applied Biology (1998) and Philosophy (2003) from the University of Leuven, Belgium, and completed his PhD at TU/e in 2008 with a dissertation on artifacts and norms. His academic career progressed from post-doctoral researcher (2008-2012) in the NWO program 'Things that make us smart' to Assistant Professor (2012), and eventually to his current Associate Professor position. He received a prestigious NWO Vidi grant in 2014 for his research on cultural evolutionary theory. Vaesen's research spans multiple interconnected domains including the philosophy of innovation, meta-science, cultural evolution, and the philosophy of scientific models. His current work focuses extensively on meta-scientific questions examining science funding practices, interdisciplinary research challenges, PhD attrition causes, academic research values, and research integrity. He is preparing a book titled 'Neophilia--why our obsession with innovation leads to bad science' addressing replication crises in science. His publication record shows consistent scholarly output, with 49 research outputs documented through 2025, appearing in high-impact journals across multiple disciplines including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, PLoS ONE, and various philosophy and anthropology journals. His work demonstrates a clear trajectory toward increasingly meta-scientific concerns, with recent publications focusing on research values, PhD attrition, and science funding ethics. NWO Vidi Award (2013) for 'The Darwinisation of culture' Excellence grant from TU/e's Executive Board for work on the 'Things that make us smart' program Elected member of the Eindhoven Young Academy of Engineering (2018) Vaesen has supervised multiple graduate students (with 4 supervised works documented) and secured significant research funding, including his Vidi grant for the 'Darwinizing culture' project (2014-2019). He has been actively involved in science policy discussions, particularly regarding research funding reform and interdisciplinary research assessment. His work has generated substantial media attention, with 127 press/media mentions including coverage by Times Higher Education, Volkskrant, and various radio outlets. As co-founder of the Eindhoven Meta-Science Center, Vaesen plays a key role in advancing meta-scientific research at TU/e. His external position at Leiden University's Human Origins Group demonstrates his interdisciplinary reach across philosophy, anthropology, and evolutionary studies. He teaches courses including 'Metascience' (since 2024), 'Philosophy of science and technology,' and 'Research methodology for the innovation sciences,' shaping the next generation of scholars in these critical areas.
Dr. Shumon T. Hussain is a junior research group leader at the University of Cologne, Germany, affiliated with the Institute for Prehistoric Archaeology and MESH (Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies in the Humanities). His work bridges humanities and sciences to explore deep human history and non-human entanglements. He pioneers multispecies archaeology and paleoenvironmental humanities, focusing on animal prehistory, human-nonhuman systems, and ecological coevolution. Research interests include the intersection of 'animal' and 'technology' concepts in Western traditions, with a focus on Pleistocene and Holocene ecosystems. Key publications address scavenger guild dynamics, human-beaver cohabitation, and lithic technology variability. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary methods and contemporary relevance of deep-time studies.
