where legends are made

Research Specialties

Holly Horan measuring samplesThe Department of Anthropology at The University of Alabama has a diverse research program in the following specialties:

Learn more about current research projects in the department by visiting the Facilities & Labs page, or browse our directory.

Biocultural Medical Anthropology

Biocultural Medical Anthropology, a specific approach within the more general subfield of medical anthropology, strives to understand why people grow and develop as they do and why they may be at risk for health problems. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

  • Dr. Jason DeCaro: life course health and development, global health, maternal/child health, social epidemiology, biocultural-linguistic approach, culture and health
  • Dr. Courtney Helfrecht: life course health and development, global health, maternal/child health, nutritional anthropology, culture and health
  • Dr. Holly Horan: life course health and development, global health, maternal/child health, nutritional anthropology, social epidemiology, health inequities, reproductive health and justice, culture and health
  • Dr. Christopher Lynn: culture and health
  • Dr. Stephanie McClure: life course health and development, social epidemiology, health inequities, culture and health
  • Dr. Lisa Pawloski: global health, maternal/child health, nutritional anthropology, culture and health
  • Dr. Sonya Pritzker: biocultural-linguistic approach, culture and health
  • Dr. Diane Tober: life course health and development, global health, maternal/child health, health inequities, reproductive health and justice, science and technology, culture and health

Human Biology

Human Biology focuses on a blend of social and biological studies to examine how living populations evolve. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Psychological Anthropology

Psychological Anthropology is an interdisciplinary field that examines the interplay between individual psychology and cultural and social influences to explain human behavior. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Applied Anthropology

Applied Anthropology “puts to use” our disciplinary research methods and theories in order to solve problems and encourage change in human behavior and cultural living patterns. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Identities and Inequalities

This blend of anthropology and sociology examines how identities, such as class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, create a sense of belonging among living populations, while also creating a source of tension as inequalities are produced across identities. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Education, Outreach, and Community Engagement

The core faculty in this speciality includes the following:

Decolonization

Decolonization is the process of undoing colonization, in a literal and theoretical sense, by centering racial justice and marginalized groups in order to produce an equitable transformation in the academic community and beyond. The Decolonization Committee is a joint faculty/graduate student body that leads these efforts in the Department of Anthropology. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Archaeological Science

Using scientific research methods, archaeologists determine what historic cultures were like by looking at the material remains people leave behind. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Archaeology of the Americas

Archaeologists specialize in specific areas around the world to develop expertise on particular people, places, and issues. Archaeology of the Americas focuses on Mesoamerica, North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The core faculty in this specialty includes the following:

Museum Anthropology and Cultural Resource Management

Museum anthropology studies all aspects of the theory and practice of museum operations, including the history of museums, their role in society, and specific systems for education, administration and cultural resource management. Cultural resource management may be understood in a broad sense as the preservation of places, objects, structures, buildings, and evidence of past material culture and life.