Dr. Laura Shackelford

Biography

Laura Shackelford is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, where she also serves as the Director of Anatomy at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Her research interests include paleoanthropology, focusing on Southeast Asia and the late Pleistocene human evolution, emphasizing the species Homo sapiens and their evolutionary context. Shackelford co-directs ongoing field research in northern Laos, where her team has made significant discoveries, including early modern human remains dating back 70,000 years from Tam Pa Ling cave. They have also uncovered evidence of the enigmatic Denisovan population in the region. In addition to her field research, she investigates the use of virtual reality technology in education aimed at making archaeological fieldwork and human prehistory accessible for students. Shackelford teaches human anatomy to medical students at the Carle Illinois College and collaborates with advanced students on clinical anatomical research. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as an M.A. and a B.S. in Biological Anthropology & Anatomy from Duke University.

Research Interests