One unique aspect of my research is the focus on populations from the core of the Inca Empire, providing crucial biological data from the Inca heartland. My dissertation research is a bioarchaeological investigation of the effects of the rise and expansion of the Inca Empire, featuring analysis of hundreds of burials from several sites throughout the Cuzco region. The project incorporates paleopathological data to measure the impact of increasing social stratification on health and strontium isotope data to understand migration patterns. In my thesis, I have documented the bioarchaeological impacts of the Inca Empire on local populations’ health based on factors such as settlement aggregation and enforced labor.

Chokepukio Osteological Research Project
I am currently the Director of Osteological Analysis at Chokepukio, Peru, an on-going project featuring the study of paleopathological conditions, cranial vault modification, and trepanation. Since 1999, I have analyzed almost 200 burials and supervised undergraduate students in methods of burial excavation and data collection for human remains. The Chokepukio excavations are led by Dr. Gordon McEwan of Wagner College.

Ccotoccotuyoc Osteological Research Project, Huaro Valley, Peru
In my newest project, I am addressing questions similar to my dissertation, but for an earlier Andean polity, the Wari Empire. My analysis focuses on the terminal Wari occupation of the site, documenting evidence of physical stress and trauma possibly caused by political instability and warfare that contributed to the collapse of the Wari Empire. The Ccotoccotuyoc excavations are led by Dr. Mary Glowacki and co-director Nicolasa Arrendondo.