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 well-known for her research on ancient microbiomes. These are tiny living things like bacteria that live inside us. She teaches at Harvard University and leads research at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany.
Contents
About Christina Warinner
Christina Warinner earned her PhD from Harvard University in 2010. After that, she did special research at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. There, she studied how diseases, diet, and the environment are connected. She did this by looking at DNA from old dental plaque.
Her Research Journey
From 2012 to 2019, Dr. Warinner continued her research at the University of Oklahoma. A big goal in her lab was to collect DNA and proteins. These came from dental calculus, which is hardened dental plaque. She found this calculus on old skeletons from museums and archaeological sites. Her aim was to discover how human health and diet have changed over time.
Since 2016, Dr. Warinner has also led a research team. This team is part of the archaeogenetics department. It is located at the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany. Her work there focuses on the microbiomes of ancient humans.
Discoveries from Ancient Teeth
Dr. Warinner's research has led to some exciting discoveries. For example, her team found a rare blue mineral called Lapis Lazuli in the dental plaque of a female skeleton. This skeleton was found in a cemetery in Dalheim, Germany.
A report from 2017 showed that this plaque was from around 1100 AD. It contained tiny pieces of this bright blue paint. This discovery suggests that women, not just men, helped create illuminated manuscripts. These were beautiful books with colorful drawings. It is thought that the woman might have used her lips to shape her brush while painting with the blue pigment.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Christina Warinner was named a TED fellow in 2012. She also received a US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowship in 2014. She gave a TED talk in February 2012 about how infectious diseases and human diets have changed. In January 2013, she gave another TEDx talk. It was called "Debunking the Paleo Diet."
In 2019, Dr. Warinner joined the anthropology department at Harvard University. She also became the Sally Starling Seaver Assistant Professor at the Radcliffe Institute. She continues to be a research group leader in Germany as well.
Awards and Honors
- 2014 – US National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowship
- 2012 – TED Fellowship
