Elizabeth Sawchuk

Dr. Elizabeth Sawchuk is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta's Department of Anthropology and Assistant Curator of Human Evolution at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. She holds degrees from the University of Alberta (B.A., M.A.) and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on bioarchaeology and anthropological archaeology in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the spread of herding and farming, climate change adaptation, and ethical ancient DNA research. She directs excavations in northern Kenya as part of the Later Prehistory of West Turkana project and collaborates internationally on ancient DNA studies. She has been funded by SSHRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and National Geographic. Dr. Sawchuk teaches courses on race, archaeology, and biological anthropology. Affiliations include Case Western Reserve University and the Turkana Basin Institute.

Her work integrates osteology, dental anthropology, and paleogenomics to explore human adaptation to environmental and social changes. Key achievements include co-authoring ethical guidelines for DNA research and co-directing excavations revealing insights into early herder health. Current research funded by SSHRC examines health patterns among eastern Africa’s earliest herders.

• Awards: Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Banting Scholar, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Grants: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2022), Wenner-Gren Foundation grants

Dr. Sawchuk advocates for ethical approaches to ancient DNA and collaborates globally on projects like the Archaeology-Ancient DNA initiative. Her lab and fieldwork teams include interdisciplinary researchers addressing Africa’s complex population history.