I am an archaeological scientist interested in exploring the articulation between material culture, genetics and biogeography to further theoretical, methodological and scientific advances in the field of human evolution and the roots of the Anthropocene. I am a tenured Professor (W2) and head of the Human Palaeosystems Group at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Jena, Germany. My research group combines primary fieldwork with a range of different modelling approaches using palaeoecological and genetic data, in order to test different hypotheses about human evolution and the growth and impact of the human niche. To do this, I am running three major projects: Max Planck Society funded aWARE project, which is investigating the deep human past across a West African transect, the Max Planck Society funded Disease-Culture Coevolution Project, and the ERC funded IslandLab project, which is exploring the transition from pristine natural systems to human dominated landscapes on the island of Malta. To read more about my research and my background, please click below.