Elizabeth Holdsworth

Elizabeth Holdsworth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences. As a biocultural anthropologist, her research examines how early life adversity and social inequality impact infant growth and development through mechanisms like the epigenome, microbiome, and neuroendocrine systems. She employs frameworks from evolutionary theory and epidemiology including developmental plasticity and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).

Her publications investigate diverse topics including the relationship between breastfeeding patterns and milk microbiome composition, prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetic regulation of stress response systems, and health disparities among immigrant populations. Recent work analyzes COVID-19's gendered impacts on teachers and pandemic-related community health disparities.

Dr. Holdsworth teaches courses on human biology, health disparities, and research methods. She is actively recruiting graduate students and currently seeking work-study assistants for her lab. Her research has been published in journals including PLOS ONE, American Journal of Human Biology, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.