Molly Fox

Molly Fox is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences. She also holds an academic appointment in Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Her research focuses on evolutionary and developmental biology, particularly maternal and grandmaternal transgenerational influences on health and disease. Key areas include fetal programming, acculturation effects in Hispanic Americans, and Alzheimer’s disease etiology from an evolutionary perspective.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge (2015)
• B.A. in Anthropology and Theatre Studies, Yale University (2008)

Research Interests: Dr. Fox investigates how biological and cultural factors shape health across generations. Her work integrates molecular, clinical, and anthropological data to address topics like postpartum depression, gut microbiome impacts on infant development, and the role of breastfeeding in cognitive resilience. She leads the UCLA Biological Anthropology of Motherhood Lab, focusing on projects such as the Mothers' Cultural Experiences Study.

Publications & Grants: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact works on Alzheimer’s, acculturation, and maternal mental health. Major grants include NIH funding for studies on reproductive life history and cognitive decline, and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for her PhD.

Awards: Grand Challenges Award (ISEMPH, 2021), Best New Investigator Award (Evolutionary Anthropology Society, 2017), and recognition as a top thinker under 30 (Pacific Standard, 2014).

Labs & Affiliations: Principal Investigator at UCLA’s FoxLab, affiliated with the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and the UCLA Evolutionary Medicine Program. Collaborates with institutions like UC Irvine and the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).