Alyssa Bader

Alyssa Bader is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2019). Her research focuses on community-based, collaborative studies using paleogenomics, bioarchaeology, and stable isotope analysis to investigate diet, health, and socio-political dynamics in Indigenous communities of the Northwest Coast of North America. She emphasizes ethical, community-driven research partnerships with Indigenous nations and maintains affiliations with the Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING) program. Currently, she is establishing an anthropological genomics lab at McGill dedicated to paleogenomic, contemporary genomic, and bioarchaeological research.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019

Research Interests: Dr. Bader’s work centers on integrating ancestral and contemporary Indigenous knowledge systems with genomic and archaeological sciences. She prioritizes decolonizing research practices through co-developed methodologies that empower Indigenous nations in genomic research. Her studies explore the intersection of biological evidence (e.g., isotopic data, DNA) with sociopolitical histories, emphasizing ethical frameworks for working with Indigenous communities and ancestral remains.

Awards & Grants: While no specific awards are listed, her contributions to ethical genomics research and community partnerships reflect significant scholarly impact. She has been actively involved in policy development for Indigenous genomic studies through SING and co-authored pivotal papers on research ethics.

Advising & Mentorship: As a faculty member in SING, she mentors Indigenous scholars in genomics. Her lab at McGill aims to foster collaborative training environments for students and researchers.

Labs & Teams: She is developing a dedicated anthropological genomics lab suite at McGill, focusing on paleogenomic and bioarchaeological research with Indigenous community partnerships.