11/15/2022
Meet bioarchaeologist and assistant professor Dr. Julia Gamble! She teaches several courses in human evolution and skeletal anatomy and specializes in health and disease in past populations. Her use of teeth to look at stress links to collaboration on ancient DNA, proteomics, and geochemical projects. When she is not looking at medieval teeth under a microscope, she is walking her dog Willow or cuddling with her cat, drinking tea, doing medieval re-enactment, or reading.
“My research investigates past health using a life course approach. I am interested in understanding the interactions between early life experiences (as represented by periods of developmental disruption captured in dental tissues) and later life health (as seen in human skeletal remains). This investigation includes a microscopic approach, as well as virtual recording. I am also interested in understanding diverse aspects of population health and demography through different methodologies. This led to work on pathogen DNA in medieval Denmark and to proteomics work for s*x estimation from dental enamel. Our recent publication in ‘Nature’ of findings from the pathogen DNA project identified significant natural selection from Black Death that impacted immune genes in ways that still affect modern populations (Klunk et al. 2022)! Recently, I’ve been collaborating with colleagues at the Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna) on a project involving Avar period populations.
I also bring my skills as a human osteologist and archaeologist to the table towards repatriation efforts and assistance on residential school work with communities. This is all part of active engagement with reconciliation and of moving forward in positive ways with Indigenous communities and peoples.
My projects involve collaboration internally with the Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Earth Materials and Archaeometry Research Centre, and externally with McMaster University (McMaster Ancient DNA Centre), University of Southern Denmark (ADBOU), University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, Naturhistorisches Museum (Wien), and the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.
Nature article in bio!