Amy Boddy, PhD.
Co-Director
Amy is a human biologist and evolutionary theorist with an interest in applying evolutionary and ecological theory to human health and disease. Her work is multidisciplinary and uses a combination of genomics, comparative biology, and evolutionary theory to understand life history trade-offs between survival and reproduction across different levels of biological organization. Active research topics include (1) Comparative oncology and the evolution of cancer defenses across the tree of life; (2) Life history trade-offs in cancer, with a focus on early life adversity and cancer outcomes, and (3) Maternal-fetal conflict in maternal health, including studies on microchimerism and maternal tolerance during pregnancy, the immunology of breastfeeding, and maternal health and behavior postpartum.
For more information, visit: https://boddylab.com/
Kristine Joy Chua, PhD.
Co-Director
Kristine Joy Chua is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Anthropology at UCSB and will be joining the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame in January 2025. She earned her Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from UCLA. Her research integrates evolutionary and biocultural anthropology perspectives to understand human pregnancy and maternal-fetal stress biology among pregnant Filipina women in Ilocos Norte, Philippines and Filipina American women in Southern California.
For more information, visit: https://anthropology.nd.edu/people/faculty/kristine-joy-chua/
Cristiano Parmeggiani
Graduate Researcher
Cristiano is pursuing a PhD in biological anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has a background in both the humanities and the evolutionary sciences. His current interests lie in the fields of evolutionary medicine, and he is currently working at the forefront of microchimeric research, and on the evolutionary mechanisms behind cancer.
Steve Dinnogen
Biobehavioral Health Laboratory Manager
Steve is the lab manager for the Biobehavioral Health Laboratory at UCSB and has over two decades of experience in biotechnology. He obtained a BS in Pharmacology from UCSB and a MS in Biotechnology from CSUCI. He brings a breadth of work experience, spanning from research roles to navigating highly regulated FDA environments. He has diverse experience on an array of platforms and a high proficiency in assay development which allows him to provide valuable troubleshooting skills to the Boddy Lab Microchimerism Team.
Amelia Jones
Clinical Research Coordinator, Cottage Hospital
Amelia Jones is a clinical research coordinator based in Santa Barbara, CA. She manages investigational studies in the areas of pulmonology/critical care, neurology, cardiology, orthopedics, and women’s/reproductive health with the aim to contribute to the generation of new knowledge that will improve not only the care that sick patients receive, but also the wellness and fulfillment of the people of all walks of life. Amelia has a background in sociology, linguistics, and speech-language pathology. Learning and working in these areas has led her to develop a wide scope of knowledge and skills applicable to both the clinical and professional world. Arguably more importantly, this experience has also fostered in her an interest and consideration for interpersonal relationships, different forms of ability and communication, and human emotions and behaviors.
Brynn Shapiro
Undergraduate Intern & Social Media Coodinator
Brynn is currently an undergraduate student in UC Santa Barbara's Anthropology Department. She loves learning about evolutionary processes and genetics. Her current research interests focus on maternal-fetal health, specifically, exploring preterm birth through a comparative evolutionary lens. Brynn plans to continue conducting women's health research and pursue a career as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
Past Lab Members
Tiffany Pan, PhD
Affiliated Researcher
Tiffany Pan is a Research Scientist and Biodemography Lab Director at CSDE. She collaborates with and provides support for researchers incorporating biomarker methods in population health research. Some areas of biodemographic services include consulting on study design, assistance with specimen collection and storage, conducting laboratory analyses, and training users of equipment available for rental. Tiffany earned a PhD in Anthropology and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. She was also a CSDE Pre-Doctoral Fellow and completed the Graduate Certificate in Demographic Methods. She returned to CSDE in 2022 after her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
For more information, visit: https://csde.washington.edu/staff/pan-tiffany/
Nikki Torno
Laboratory Technician
Nikki Torno was a laboratory technician working for Dr. Boddy's on the microchimerism logitudinal study. Nikki earned her B.A. in Biological Anthropology and a minor in Linguistics at UCSB, and she graduated in June of 2022. Nikki enjoys learning about genetics, evolution, and data analysis, so she particularly loved being able to combine all these research interests in studying microchimerism.
Emilie Risha
Undergraduate Intern
Emilie Risha was an undergraduate biological anthropology student at UCSB, assisting in research on fetal and maternal microchimerism. She enjoys learning about pregnancy, human biology and evolution, and how ancestrally-derived structures operate in modern contexts. In the future, she hopes to work directly with birthing people and their families as a doula or midwife, to support the individuals' full well-being and autonomy in birth and in life.
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