Dr. Alexis Dolphin

Biography

Dr. Alexis Dolphin is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, specializing in biological anthropology, particularly dental anthropology, human osteology, and bioarchaeology. She completed her Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in 2006. Dr. Dolphin’s research has focused on reconstructing the experiences of mothers and children through chemical histological analyses of teeth and bones, with fieldwork conducted in Ontario, Belize, Mexico, Iceland, and Peru. She co-directs excavations in Wadi Faynan, Jordan, where they uncover insights from a 100-cemetery site. Additionally, she has served as a Guest Researcher at the University of Bergen in Norway and has engaged in SSHRC-funded postdoctoral research. Dr. Dolphin utilizes cutting-edge methods such as LA-ICP-MS and synchrotron XRF for microspatial analyses on human bones and teeth. Her work situates laboratory results within wider discussions on embodiment and inequality. Dr. Dolphin is dedicated to a critical biocultural approach in understanding human behavior, examining the shifting location of debates on ownership of biomaterials and gender identity. Furthermore, she leads the Ancient Contemporary Environmental Bioindicators Laboratory (ACEBioLab) at her department, supporting research on human-environment interactions through advanced analytical techniques.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses