Sandrine Gallois

Sandrine Gallois is a Post Doctoral Researcher at Leiden University's Faculty of Archaeology, Department of Archaeological Sciences, where she contributes to the HARVEST Project exploring food behavior among Congo Basin societies. Her research focuses on the anthropology of food, ethno-ecology, and human-environment interactions, with particular attention to forager-horticulturalist communities like the Baka in Cameroon. She employs interdisciplinary methods, combining ethnographic fieldwork with botanical and microbiological analysis to study dietary practices, biodiversity, and the impacts of market integration.

Her work bridges archaeology, anthropology, and ecology, emphasizing the role of food systems in cultural and ecological sustainability. Gallois has published on topics ranging from dietary shifts in hunter-gatherer societies to the microbiome stability across subsistence strategies. She holds a prestigious Rising Talent Prize (2019) for her innovative contributions. Collaborations include projects with institutions in Bolivia, Indonesia, and Europe, reflecting her global perspective on human-environment dynamics.

Her research also explores knowledge transmission in childhood, using social network analyses to understand how cultural practices are learned and maintained among Baka youth. Gallois actively participates in conservation efforts, highlighting the ecological and economic importance of non-timber forest products in Central Africa.