Amy Boddy

Amy Boddy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. Her research integrates evolutionary theory, genomics, and comparative biology to study human health and disease, focusing on life history trade-offs, maternal-fetal conflict, and cancer evolution. She leads the Boddy Lab, which investigates microchimerism, reproductive health, and comparative oncology across species. Dr. Boddy holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Her academic affiliations include the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Broom Center for Demography, and Integrative Anthropological Sciences program. She has received the UCSB Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award (2023) and secured grants such as the John Templeton Grant for microchimerism research. Her work bridges disciplines like evolutionary medicine, wildlife health, and AI-driven pathology to address cancer susceptibility and maternal health challenges.

Research highlights include studies on cancer prevalence across vertebrates, the evolutionary basis of cancer defenses (Peto’s Paradox), and the role of early life adversity in breast cancer outcomes. Current projects involve pregnancy health tracking, wildlife cancer ecology, and interdisciplinary art-science collaborations on reproductive biology. Dr. Boddy teaches courses in anthropology and mentors students in evolutionary health sciences.