Andrea Waters-Rist

Andrea Waters-Rist is an Associate Professor in Biological Anthropology at the Department of Anthropology, Western University. She holds a PhD from the University of Calgary (2011). Her research focuses on using bioarchaeological methods to reconstruct dietary practices, health conditions, and social behaviors in past populations, with a strong emphasis on stable isotope analysis and skeletal biology. Waters-Rist has conducted extensive studies in North America, Europe, and Siberia, examining topics such as infant feeding practices in historical populations, vitamin D deficiency in medieval communities, and the effects of urbanization on dietary patterns.

Notable research interests include:

• Stable isotope applications in paleodietary reconstruction
• Historical and prehistoric breastfeeding/weaning behaviors
• Biocultural analysis of skeletal pathologies (e.g., rickets, osteoarthritis)
• Human-environment interactions in foraging and farming societies
• Methodological advancements in osteological recording and analysis

Her recent work has illuminated breastfeeding variability in 19th-century Dutch farming communities and demonstrated how enamel defects reflect pre-natal stress in infants. Waters-Rist has also pioneered innovative approaches to studying activity patterns through entheseal changes in skeletal remains. Her interdisciplinary projects often integrate archaeological, historical, and biological data to address questions about social inequality, health disparities, and cultural adaptation.