Anthropologist News and Research

RSS

Epidemic: What good is a vaccine when there is no rice?

The 1970s was the deadliest decade in the "entire history of Bangladesh," said environmental historian Iftekhar Iqbal

24 Oct 2023

1918 flu's true victims were not the fittest, but the most stressed

Analyzing remains of 1918 influenza pandemic victims, researchers from McMaster University and the University of Colorado Boulder found that the flu's most susceptible victims showed signs of prior environmental, nutritional, and social stress. Contrary to historical beliefs, the study, published in PNAS, revealed that those in poor health were more likely to succumb to the pandemic than healthy individuals.

9 Oct 2023

Voluntary collective isolation ineffective in preventing COVID-19 spread among Indigenous populations

Indigenous Peoples have suffered disproportionally from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Systemic factors including lack of sovereignty, limited infrastructure and discrimination in local health care systems make Indigenous populations vulnerable to infectious diseases.

24 Aug 2023

Study reveals APOE-ε4 allele increases the risk for Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease

Previous research has revealed that the Apolipoprotein-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele increases the risk for a variety of diseases in aging populations, specifically Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease. And yet, despite the negative effects of this genetic variant, it remains prevalent in approximately 20% of the human population.

11 Aug 2023

THC-O-acetate's psychedelic effects may be greatly exaggerated

The cannabis plant is complex, with about 100 cannabinoids, or compounds, many of which science still knows little or nothing about.

11 Jul 2023

Uncovering Hidden Diversity in Human Gut Anatomy

In this interview, we spoke to researchers involved in a recent study that found significant variation in the anatomy of human guts.

22 Jun 2023

Study looks at the use emoji and emoticons in secure clinical texting systems

You may have heard it said before that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about an emoji?

13 Jun 2023

Waco COVID Survey provides insights into the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission, health behaviors

Results from the Waco COVID Survey have provided needed insights into how the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission, health behaviors and COVID-19-related attitudes changed across the first two years of the pandemic in the McLennan County, Texas.

8 May 2023

Study explores the culture of antibiotic prescribing in US hospital ICUs

In the United States, physicians in almost every specialty and role use antibiotics as part of their therapeutic armamentariums.

20 Apr 2023

Neutral or awkward behavior of mothers with infants linked to an epigenetic change in children

Adding evidence to the importance of early development, a new study links neutral maternal behavior toward infants with an epigenetic change in children related to stress response.

2 Mar 2023

Strong bonds with close social circles and extended groups associated with better mental health, wellbeing

The time people spent with family over the festive period could have improved their health, according to new research which examined how social bonds with close social circles and extended groups relate to health and psychological wellbeing.

13 Jan 2023

Study sheds new light on how reproduction permanently alters females’ bones

Reproduction permanently alters females' bones in ways not previously known, a team of anthropologists has found. Its discovery, based on an analysis of primates, sheds new light on how giving birth can permanently change the body.

2 Nov 2022

Male mice three times more likely than females to survive E. coli infection

Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a new way of looking at sex-biased diseases that is rooted in evolutionary biology.

20 Oct 2022

Hostile political landscape takes its toll on the mental health of Latina mothers

The sociopolitical climate in the United States has taken its toll on the mental health of Latina mothers, according to new research from the University of California San Diego.

13 Sep 2022

High levels of stress hormones can stop bone growth in children

As we go through life, our health and wellbeing is impacted by a variety of factors that in turn affect our growth and development.

23 Aug 2022

Modern humans did not experience an evolutionary decrease in brain size, UNLV research says

Did the 12th century B.C.E. - a time when humans were forging great empires and developing new forms of written text - coincide with an evolutionary reduction in brain size? Think again, says a UNLV-led team of researchers who refute a hypothesis that's growing increasingly popular among the science community.

8 Aug 2022

Whole genome sequencing of 1,700-year-old individuals shows genetic heterogeneity in ancient Koreans from Gaya

An international team led by The University of Vienna and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with the National Museum of Korea has successfully sequenced and studied the whole genome of eight 1,700-year-old individuals dated to the Three Kingdoms period of Korea (approx. 57 BC-668 AD).

21 Jun 2022

People lifting weights for aesthetic reasons run the risk of bigorexia

New research from The University of Queensland has found people lifting weights for aesthetic reasons run the risk of developing muscle dysmorphia.

31 May 2022

UC San Diego receives $38 million USAID grant to address gender equity and health issues

The U.S. Agency for International Development has funded a $38 million, five-year project led by the Center on Gender Equity and Health at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.

14 Mar 2022

Food pantry clients experienced economic hardship and psychological distress during COVID-19

A novel study by UT Southwestern researchers who conducted interviews as the nation shut down due to COVID-19 tells the stories of those who routinely faced hunger before the pandemic upended their lives. The research, which could be used to improve the response in future emergencies, finds food pantry clients experienced increased economic hardship, food insecurity, and psychological distress.

6 Jan 2022