Kate Pechenkina

Professor Kate Pechenkina, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Queens College, CUNY, is a leading bioarchaeologist specializing in the interplay between human behavior, diet, and disease evolution across prehistoric societies. With a PhD from the University of Missouri (2002), she directs fieldwork in north-central China, analyzing Neolithic to Han dynasty skeletal remains to trace health impacts of agricultural transitions.

• Research Focus: Biological Anthropology, Paleopathology, Neolithic China, Prehistoric Peru
• Key Contributions: Demonstrated links between cereal agriculture and iron deficiency, identified oral health deterioration from pottery adoption, and explored infectious disease spread in early farming communities.

Her methodological approach combines skeletal pathology analysis with stable isotope studies to reconstruct diet, workload, and disease patterns. Recent publications examine skeletal dysplasia in Neolithic China and PARP-1 inhibition in cancer therapy.

• Courses Taught: Intro to Human Evolution, Bioarchaeology, Anthropological Genomics, Human Paleontology
• Leadership: Dean of Social Sciences, overseeing academic programs and faculty development