Christina Warinner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Warinner
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University University of Kansas |
| Known for | TEDx talk Debunking the Paleo Diet |
| Awards | US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowship (2014), TED Fellowship 2012 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Archaeogenetics Molecular anthropology |
| Institutions | Harvard University Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History |
Christina Warinner is an American anthropologist. She is famous for her research on ancient microbiomes. Microbiomes are tiny living things like bacteria that live inside us. She is a professor at Harvard University. She also leads a research team in Jena, Germany. Her work helps us understand how human health and diet have changed over time.
Contents
Who is Christina Warinner?
Christina Warinner is a brilliant scientist. She earned her PhD from Harvard University in 2010. After that, she continued her studies. From 2010 to 2012, she worked at the University of Zurich. There, she studied how diseases, food, and the environment are connected. She did this by looking at DNA from old dental plaque.
Studying Ancient Dental Plaque
From 2012 to 2019, Dr. Warinner worked at the University of Oklahoma. A main goal in her lab was to study dental calculus. Dental calculus is hardened dental plaque. It forms on teeth over time. She collected DNA and proteins from dental calculus. These samples came from old skeletons. They were found in museums and at archaeological sites. Her goal was to learn how human health and diet changed throughout history.
Discoveries from Ancient Teeth
Since 2016, Dr. Warinner has led a research team. They work at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Her team studies ancient human microbiomes. They look at the tiny living things in our mouths and guts.
One amazing discovery involved a female skeleton. It was found in a cemetery in Dalheim, Germany. Her team found tiny pieces of a rare blue mineral in her dental plaque. This mineral is called Lapis Lazuli. It was used to make bright blue paint. This paint was used in old books called illuminated manuscripts. The skeleton was from around 1100 AD. This discovery suggests that women helped create these beautiful books. It is thought the woman might have licked her brush to shape it while painting.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Dr. Warinner is also known for her talks. She was named a TED Fellow in 2012. She also became a US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow in 2014. In 2012, she gave a TED talk. It was about how diseases and diet have changed in humans. In 2013, she gave a TEDx talk. It was called "Debunking the Paleo Diet." In this talk, she shared scientific facts about ancient diets.
In 2019, Dr. Warinner joined Harvard University. She continues her important research there. She also leads her research group in Germany.
Awards and Honors
- 2014 – US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowship
- 2014 – Honorable Mention for the International Society for Evolution, Medicine & Public Health's Omenn Prize
- 2012 – TED Fellowship
