Dr. Melanie Martin is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington and CSDE’s Biodemography Principal Investigator. Her research examines biocultural influences on growth, development, and reproduction. Currently, she works with two ongoing studies of indigenous health across the life course: the Chaco Area Reproductive Ecology Program (Co-PI) and the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. Her research combines field research (focal follows, ethnographic observations, interviews) with laboratory analysis of non-invasive biomarkers and mixed-modeling approaches. Dr. Martin has published in several journals, including Nature Communications, PLOS One, American Anthropology, and American Journal of Human Biology. 

She also is training the next generation of biodemography investigators with a lab course focused on the linkage between hormones and behavior (BIO A 455) and several lecture courses about evolutionary biology and the human life cycle (BIO A 484), including BIO A 300 Evolutionary Biology of Women.  Her research interests are wide ranging and encompass behavioral ecology, biological anthropology, human reproductive ecology, medical anthropology, field research methods, global health, medical anthropology, maternal and child health, public health, and growth and development.  Recently she and colleagues proposed and successfully competed for a COVID-19 NSF Award to examine whether the virus can be transmitted via breast milk.