Batek
The Batek are one of several indigenous populations inhabiting Peninsular Malaysia. Although the Batek traditionally practiced a nomadic hunting and gathering lifestyle, extreme habitat degradation and government policies encouraging assimilation are causing a rapid process of social, economic, and cultural transition. Understanding how this transition is affecting life history decisions, the structure of social networks, and health outcomes, is a key focus of my research.
I initiated fieldwork with the Batek together with my colleague, Vivek Venkataraman, beginning in 2013. Our study is a continuation of long-term research conducted by Dr. Kirk Endicott (Professor Emeritus at Dartmouth College) and Karen Endicott from the early 1970's to 2004. Together, we are integrating historical quantitative ethnographic data with modern studies to answer theoretical and empirical questions in the field of human behavioral ecology.
I initiated fieldwork with the Batek together with my colleague, Vivek Venkataraman, beginning in 2013. Our study is a continuation of long-term research conducted by Dr. Kirk Endicott (Professor Emeritus at Dartmouth College) and Karen Endicott from the early 1970's to 2004. Together, we are integrating historical quantitative ethnographic data with modern studies to answer theoretical and empirical questions in the field of human behavioral ecology.
|
|
|
Tsimane
As a postdoctoral scholar for the Tsimane Health and Life History Project, I am working with Professor Michael Gurven to investigate questions regarding health and behavior using a long-term data set on Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in Bolivia.
Some current research projects include:
- Developmental factors influencing myopia and visual acuity loss in transitioning foragers
- Dietary variation and health consequences
- Causes and consequences of migration and mobility
- The link between social networks, stress, and health
