Our Team

Aleksa Alaica

As the Principal Investigator of the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group (MARG), I am passionate about investigating the network of relationships that exist through time among humans, animals, plants and their landscapes. I am an anthropological archaeologist interested in how people in the past interacted with and valued the world around them. During my BA at the University of Toronto, I specialized in archaeology and began my excavation training in the Andes. While an MSc student at the University of Edinburgh, I expanded my experience in osteoarchaeology and isotope analysis. I examined dietary variation among humans and animals at a Late Roman-Early Byzantine site in Ibiza, Spain, in which I detected dietary differences between gender groups and socioeconomic statuses. Begun during my doctoral work, my research on Moche period animal management and the incorporation of animals into daily and ritual practices is ongoing. I joined the Department of Anthropology at UBC as Assistant Professor in 2022 where I began investigating the impact of Wari state expansion on food security and interregional interaction in the Nasca region.

Anna Divinagracia

I am a third-year Honours Biochemistry student, interested in exploring the intersections between biochemistry and archaeology. I have experience working with zooarchaeological material from Andean contexts, particularly for stable isotope analysis. I am currently working as an undergraduate research assistant.

Anya Akimoff

I am a fourth-year student in the Honours Anthropology program at UBC. My primary areas of interest are paleoethnobotany, environmental archaeology, and isotope analysis. My current BA thesis project focuses on creating an isotopic database for CAM plants (cacti and succulents) and other native organisms from the Tierras Blancas Region of southern coastal Peru.

Caroline Burrows

I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student and volunteer at MARG. I am majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Archaeology at UBC. I am passionate about anthropology and archaeology and hope to pursue a Masters degree in the near future!

Daniyal Alam

I am currently an undergraduate at UBC majoring in Chemical Biology with a deep interest in archaeological science. I am interested in exploring how chemical and biomolecular techniques can uncover past human-animal relationships, environmental changes, and material culture. I hope to expand my training in analytical methods - such as isotopic analysis and collagen extraction - to investigate archaeological materials and reconstruct past lifeways. My STEM background allows me to bring a unique perspective to archaeological research, bridging the gap between the natural sciences and the study of ancient worlds.

David Zhou

I am a third-year anthropology student with interest in both socio-cultural anthropology and anthropological archaeology. My specific areas of interest include osteoarchaeology, early state formation, and zooarchaeology.

Kara Ren

I am an MA student in the Department of Anthropology with a research focus in biomolecular archaeology and zooarchaeology. I completed my BA (Hons.) in Anthropology with a minor in Anthropological Archaeology at UBC in 2023. Using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), my honours thesis involved expanding the reference database for whales and identifying whale species composition in the archaeological record within Tseshaht First nation territories. My MA research aims to take a multi-method archaeological approach to investigate landscape management, biodiversity, and interregional exchange of resources among early pre-ceramic hunter-gatherer communities in the Eastern Andes of northern Peru.

Khushman Jawandha

I am a fourth-year student studying Psychology and Archaeology at UBC. I’m interested in bridging the fields of psychology and archaeology, with a focus on human interactions and the relationships between humans and non-human animals in ancient societies.

Luis Manuel González la Rosa

I am an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at The University of British Columbia. I also hold a Research Associate position in the Archaeology Centre at the University of Toronto. A licensed professional archaeologist and educator trained at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru, I have over two decades of research experience throughout the Andes. I have served as director and supervisor of various projects in the Lima, Chilca, Nasca, Cajamarca, La Libertad, and Arequipa regions of Peru since 2009. My research interests include the development of complex civilizations and regional interactions in the Andes, focused on the Early Intermediate Period (EIP) on the central coast, with the objective of determining the local interaction strategies between the Lima, Moche, Nasca and Wari societies during the EIP and Middle Horizon Period.

Ryan Cheung

I am currently a fourth-year student at the University of British Columbia studying history though I spent my first two years studying forestry. I started volunteering at the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group to strengthen my research and analytical skills. Originally from Seattle, I wanted to study in Vancouver to leave the comfort of my hometown while remaining close to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Naturally, some of my hobbies include backpacking, fishing, and hiking. As a prospective law student, I am interested in using my background in history and research to make a positive impact in environmental law.

Saranggan Thavakumaran

I am in my final year at UBC majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Archaeology. I am really interested in bioarchaeology, zooarchaeology, and isotope analysis in particular and hope to continue that in my post-undergrad life in some capacity—whether that be through a master's and/or in some other form. I love anything hands-on in archaeology so I feel really fortunate to have joined MARG and am grateful to everyone here!

Willow Curran-Morton

I am a third-year anthropology major with a passion for archaeology. In the lab, I take on various tasks to support ongoing projects to ensure everything runs smoothly. My role involves assisting with research, organizing materials, and contributing to the overall success of the lab's work. I’m dedicated to learning as much as I can and applying my knowledge to real-world archaeological projects. Once I complete my undergraduate degree, I hope to continue my education specializing in multispecies archaeology!

Visiting Scholars

Madeleine Lamer

I am a doctoral candidate studying under the supervision of Dr. Darlene Weston at UBC. I am a bioarchaeologist specializing on paleopathology and the study of inequality in the past. My thesis, titled: Slavery in the Viking Age: the use of skeletal trauma and paleopathology to interpret health and occupation status and identify marginalized groups, aims to use a combination of biological anthropological methods and isotopic analysis to identify enslaved individuals in Viking Age Sweden. I will be extracting carbonate from Viking Age teeth in the Multispecies Archaeology Laboratory. 

Past Lab Members

Amy Thompson

I graduated from UBC in 2024 with Honours in Anthropology and a minor in Anthropological Archaeology. My honours thesis employed stable isotope analysis to examine the diet of cattle and sheep from the Teffont Archaeological Project in the UK to better understand farming practices in the region. This project was conducted in collaboration with Cardiff University. My primary areas of interest are reconstructing animal diet and mobility using stable isotope analysis and zooarchaeology. I will begin an MSc in Anthropology in 2025 at Trent University with Dr. Paul Szpak.

Undergraduate Honours Thesis: Isotopic Analysis on Faunal Remains from Holt Wood and Gleb Field, Wiltshire, England, Funded by Hampton Faculty Grant and Moira Irvine Archaeological Research Award

Emily Yuan

Volunteered in MARG in 2024. Studied anthropology and archaeology. Interests are in chemistry and zooarchaeology. 

Kendra Leishman

Work-learn and honours student 2023-2024. Studied anthropology/archaeology with experience working in archaeological and paleontological museum collections. Interested in the use of ZooMS and stable isotope analyses to study past migration, environments, and human/animal relationships.

Undergraduate Honours Thesis: Climate, Culture and Cormorants: A Paleoclimatic Moche Animal Use Study Project funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant and Moira Irvine Archaeological Research Award