Alemseged Lab

Alemseged Lab Members

Meet each member that makes this lab possible.

Zeresenay "Zeray" Alemseged

Principal Investigator & Donald N. Pritzker Professor

Zeray Alemseged

Zeray Alemseged is a professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago and holds the Donald N. Pritzker professorship. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, he was a Senior Curator of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in San Francisco where he held the Irvine Chair of Anthropology. He was also Adjunct Professor at the University of California Davis and a Research Professor at San Francisco State University. Before joining CAS, he was a senior scientist in the Department of Human Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University based in Tempe, Arizona. He earned his PhD from the University of Paris, France, in paleoanthropology and his BSc in geology form Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

Learn more about Zeray

Alemseged Lab Current Members:

Rebecca Van Sessen
Rebecca Van Sessen

Rebecca Van Sessen

Lab Manager | Research Specialist II

Rebecca Van Sessen | Lab Manager / Research Specialist II

rvs@uchicago.edu | 773-795-3695

MS Anthropology, University of Indianapolis
BA Sociology/Anthropology, Indiana University Northwest

Rebecca joined the lab in June 2021. Having experience in bioarchaeology, teaching anthropology, and technical training & support, she is pleased to be a part of the team. Rebecca assists with various research projects involving 3D visualizations and reconstructions of data from fossil hominin and extant primate CT scans. She trains lab members & visitors with software and 3D scanning & printing equipment. In addition, Rebecca is involved in public outreach opportunities and promotional material development for the Alemseged Lab.

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rvs@uchicago.edu

773-795-3695

MS Anthropology, University of Indianapolis
BA Sociology/Anthropology, Indiana University Northwest

Rebecca joined the lab in June 2021. Having experience in bioarchaeology, teaching anthropology, and technical training & support, she is pleased to be a part of the team. Rebecca assists with various research projects involving 3D visualizations and reconstructions of data from fossil hominin and extant primate CT scans. She trains lab members & visitors with software and 3D scanning & printing equipment. In addition, Rebecca is involved in public outreach opportunities and promotional material development for the Alemseged Lab.

Peter Stamos
Austin Lawrence

Austin Lawrence

Postdoctoral Scholar

Austin B. Lawrence | Postdoctoral Scholar

ablawrence@uchicago.edu | austinblawrence.com 

PhD Integrative Anatomy, University of Missouri
BA Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder

Austin joined the Alemseged Lab as a postdoctoral scholar in fall of 2023 after completing his PhD in Integrative Anatomy at the University of Missouri. He is a paleoanthropologist and anatomist studying the diversity of skeletal form and function in living humans, other extant primates, and fossil hominins, with an anatomical focus on the hip and pelvis. Austin's research is focused primarily on developing tools for interpreting the postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins to better understand the patterns and drivers of behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic diversity in human evolution.

 

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ablawrence@uchicago.edu

austinblawrence.com 

PhD Integrative Anatomy, University of Missouri
BA Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder

Austin joined the Alemseged Lab as a postdoctoral scholar in fall of 2023 after completing his PhD in Integrative Anatomy at the University of Missouri. He is a paleoanthropologist and anatomist studying the diversity of skeletal form and function in living humans, other extant primates, and fossil hominins, with an anatomical focus on the hip and pelvis. Austin's research is focused primarily on developing tools for interpreting the postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins to better understand the patterns and drivers of behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic diversity in human evolution.

Peter Stamos
Peter Stamos

Peter Stamos

Postdoctoral Scholar

Peter Stamos | Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD Paleoanthropology, University of California, Davis
MA Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, Davis
BS Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, Davis

Peter joined the lab as a postdoctoral scholar in February 2020 after completing his PhD in California. He is interested in analyzing the form, function, and ontogeny of primate body plans with a focus on the locomotor repertoire and life history patterns of early hominins.

Peter also participates in ongoing paleontological fieldwork in Ethiopia.

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PhD Paleoanthropology, University of California, Davis
MA Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, Davis
BS Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, Davis

Peter joined the lab as a postdoctoral scholar in February 2020 after completing his PhD in California. He is interested in analyzing the form, function, and ontogeny of primate body plans with a focus on the locomotor repertoire and life history patterns of early hominins.

Peter also participates in ongoing paleontological fieldwork in Ethiopia.

Weldeyared Reda
Weldeyared H. Reda

Weldeyared H. Reda

PhD Student

Weldeyared H. Reda | PhD Student

MSc Paleoanthropology and Paleoenvironment, Addis Ababa University
BA Archaeology, Aksum University

"Yared" joined the lab in August 2018. He is interested in the form and function of organisms, the developmental (ontogenetic) processes underlying morphological change, and how ancestral form constrains the way a species can adapt to changing external influences. Specifically, his research interest is on the functional morphology of hominoid feeding and locomotion, and human evolution.

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MSc Paleoanthropology and Paleoenvironment, Addis Ababa University
BA Archaeology, Aksum University

"Yared" joined the lab in August 2018. He is interested in the form and function of organisms, the developmental (ontogenetic) processes underlying morphological change, and how ancestral form constrains the way a species can adapt to changing external influences. Specifically, his research interest is on the functional morphology of hominoid feeding and locomotion, and human evolution.

Laura Hunter
Laura Hunter

Laura Hunter

PhD Student

Laura Hunter | PhD Student

BA Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species, Columbia University, New York

Laura joined the lab as a PhD student in autumn of 2020. She is interested in homoplasy, how ancestral form influences function, and the role of covariation and constraint in shaping the tempo and direction of evolution. Specifically, her research interest is in examining evolvability in primate limbs, with the aim of investigating claims of convergence in hominoid locomotor behaviors.

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BA Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species, Columbia University, New York

Laura joined the lab as a PhD student in autumn of 2020. She is interested in homoplasy, how ancestral form influences function, and the role of covariation and constraint in shaping the tempo and direction of evolution. Specifically, her research interest is in examining evolvability in primate limbs, with the aim of investigating claims of convergence in hominoid locomotor behaviors.

Madeleine Kelly
Madeleine Kelly

Madeleine Kelly

PhD Student

Madeleine Kelly | PhD Student

BA Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Maddie joined the lab as a PhD student in the fall of 2021. She is broadly interested in characterizing the paleoecology of Early Pleistocene hominins in East Africa. Her research specifically focuses on developing quantitative, Bayesian models for reconstructing spatial habitat variability using a variety of proxies for past environmental conditions, including enamel stable isotopes and bovid locomotor ecomorphology.

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BA Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Maddie joined the lab as a PhD student in the fall of 2021. She is broadly interested in characterizing the paleoecology of Early Pleistocene hominins in East Africa. Her research specifically focuses on developing quantitative, Bayesian models for reconstructing spatial habitat variability using a variety of proxies for past environmental conditions, including enamel stable isotopes and bovid locomotor ecomorphology.

Banner image of field team

Alumni Lab Managers / Research Specialists II:

Shariwa Oke | Lab Manager / Research Specialist II

MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
BS Physiology, Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona

Shariwa joined the lab in June 2019 after graduating with her MS in Biomedical Visualization. She oversaw daily operations, assisted with research through design: she created 3D visualizations, animations, and reconstructions of data from CT scans of fossil hominins, updated and structured the lab website, and designed any visual correspondence materials such as brochures, reports, or flyers.

In 2021, she was accepted into the PhD program in Nutritional Science at Cornell University.

Shariwa Oke

Shariwa Oke

Lab Manager / Research Specialist II

Madeleine Kelly
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MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
BS Physiology, Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona
Shariwa joined the lab in June 2019 after graduating with her MS in Biomedical Visualization. She oversaw daily operations, assisted with research through design: she created 3D visualizations, animations, and reconstructions of data from CT scans of fossil hominins, updated and structured the lab website, and designed any visual correspondence materials such as brochures, reports, or flyers.

In 2021, she was accepted into the PhD program in Nutritional Science at Cornell University.

Kelsi M. Hurdle | Lab Manager / Research Specialist II

MSc Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Anthropology, UCL
BA Archaeological Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology, Oberlin College

Kelsi M. Hurdle

Kelsi M. Hurdle

Lab Manager / Research Specialist II

Kelsi Hurdle
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MSc Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Anthropology, UCL
BA Archaeological Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology, Oberlin College

Alumni Postdoctoral Scholars:

Faye McGechie | Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD, Integrative Anatomy, University of Missouri
BS, Anthropology, Arizona State University

Faye joined the Alemseged lab as a postdoc in the spring of 2021. She is interested in the functional morphology of the primate nuchal region. Her research integrates soft tissue mechanics, external bone shape, and trabecular architecture across extant primates to understand how the anatomy of the nuchal region is related to positional behaviors. Ultimately, she plans on using this framework to better reconstruct the behaviors of early hominins such as Australopithecus afarensis.

In 2022, Faye secured a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix to pursue her interests in primate anatomy, functional morphology, and paleoanthropology. 

Faye McGechie

Faye McGechie

Postdoctoral Scholar

Madeleine Kelly
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BS, Anthropology, Arizona State University

PhD, Integrative Anatomy, University of Missouri

Faye joined the Alemseged lab as a postdoc in the spring of 2021. She is interested in the functional morphology of the primate nuchal region. Her research integrates soft tissue mechanics, external bone shape, and trabecular architecture across extant primates to understand how the anatomy of the nuchal region is related to positional behaviors. Ultimately, she plans on using this framework to better reconstruct the behaviors of early hominins such as Australopithecus afarensis.

In 2022, Faye secured a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix to pursue her interests in primate anatomy, functional morphology, and paleoanthropology.

Andrew Du | Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD Hominid Paleobiology, George Washington University
M.Phil. George Washington University
BS Rutgers University

Andrew joined the lab in March 2017 after receiving his PhD in Hominid Paleobiology from George Washington University. He is interested in the role scale plays in our understanding of large-scale ecological and evolutionary patterns in human evolution. Specifically, he studies how time-averaging biases the ecological information recovered from mammalian fossil assemblages. He also has an interest in hominin macroevolutionary patterns, including the timing and rates of phenotypic evolution and taxic diversity change through time.

In 2019, Andrew secured an Assistant Professorship in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University. See his continued research here.

Andrew Du

Andrew Du

Postdoctoral Scholar

Madeleine Kelly
Full Profile

PhD Hominid Paleobiology, George Washington University
M.Phil. George Washington University
BS Rutgers University

Andrew joined the lab in March 2017 after receiving his PhD in Hominid Paleobiology from George Washington University. He is interested in the role scale plays in our understanding of large-scale ecological and evolutionary patterns in human evolution. Specifically, he studies how time-averaging biases the ecological information recovered from mammalian fossil assemblages. He also has an interest in hominin macroevolutionary patterns, including the timing and rates of phenotypic evolution and taxic diversity change through time.

In 2019, Andrew secured an Assistant Professorship in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University. See his continued research here.

Amanda Smith | Postdoctoral Scholar

PhD Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany
MA
Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany 
BA 
Anthropology, State University of New York at New Paltz

Amanda is a biological anthropologist and Postdoctoral Scholar working in the Ross and Alemseged labs. Her research focuses on understanding anatomical relationships between form and function, from a mechanical perspective—particularly in regards to questions about human evolution.

Amanda’s primary interests are craniofacial biomechanics and dietary adaptation in fossil and living primates and early hominins.  For much of her work, she uses finite element analysis, an engineering technique used to examine how objects of complex design respond to loads.  This approach combines medical imaging, shape analysis and fossil reconstruction, 3D modeling and structural analysis to test hypotheses related to the performance and efficiency of skeletal features related to feeding function (the skull, teeth and jaw).  Amanda also studies the range and effects of intraspecific shape variation on feeding performance in living animal models.  This is important because understanding these relationships in living taxa allows us to infer behavior from morphology preserved in the fossil record.  Thus, her work attempts to relate these behavioral and mechanical data back to broader questions regarding anatomical adaptation and anthropology, including how extinct species may have exploited limited ecological resources.

Amanda Smith

Amanda Smith

Postdoctoral Scholar

Madeleine Kelly
Full Profile

PhD Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany
MA
Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany 
BA 
Anthropology, State University of New York at New Paltz

Amanda is a biological anthropologist and Postdoctoral Scholar working in the Ross and Alemseged labs. Her research focuses on understanding anatomical relationships between form and function, from a mechanical perspective—particularly in regards to questions about human evolution.

Amanda’s primary interests are craniofacial biomechanics and dietary adaptation in fossil and living primates and early hominins.  For much of her work, she uses finite element analysis, an engineering technique used to examine how objects of complex design respond to loads.  This approach combines medical imaging, shape analysis and fossil reconstruction, 3D modeling and structural analysis to test hypotheses related to the performance and efficiency of skeletal features related to feeding function (the skull, teeth and jaw).  Amanda also studies the range and effects of intraspecific shape variation on feeding performance in living animal models.  This is important because understanding these relationships in living taxa allows us to infer behavior from morphology preserved in the fossil record.  Thus, her work attempts to relate these behavioral and mechanical data back to broader questions regarding anatomical adaptation and anthropology, including how extinct species may have exploited limited ecological resources.

Alumni PhD Students:

Hannah Farrell | PhD Student

PhD Integrative Biology, University of Chicago
BA
Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
BA Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 

Hannah joined the lab as a graduate student in the fall of 2019. She is broadly interested in the connection between form and function within the context of hominin locomotor evolution. Specifically, she hopes to analyze the functional morphology of the upper limb and torso in order to address questions regarding functional relevance or primitive retention of morphological features. She obtained a doctoral degree in 2024.

Hannah Farrell

Hannah Farrell

PhD Student

Hannah Farrell
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PhD Integrative Biology, University of Chicago
BA
Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
BA Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 

Hannah joined the lab as a graduate student in the fall of 2019. She is broadly interested in the connection between form and function within the context of hominin locomotor evolution. Specifically, she hopes to analyze the functional morphology of the upper limb and torso in order to address questions regarding functional relevance or primitive retention of morphological features. She obtained a doctoral degree in 2024.

Alumni Graduate Student Interns:

Carly Yue Yu | Graduate Student Intern

Carly is a 2018-2019 MAPSS student, concentrating on bioarchaeology and Chinese archaeology. She is also interested in forensic anthropology and radiology. Carly is currently working on the human sacrifice phenomenon in ancient China.

Carly Yue Yu

Carly Yue Yu

Graduate Student Intern

Levi Raskin
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Carly is a 2018-2019 MAPSS student, concentrating on bioarchaeology and Chinese archaeology. She is also interested in forensic anthropology and radiology. Carly is currently working on the human sacrifice phenomenon in ancient China.

Eleanor Milman | Graduate Student Intern

MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
BA McGill University

Eleanor completed her masters research in the lab, under the instruction of the PI and lab manager. For her thesis work, Eleanor reconstructed and animated part of the Dikika fossil to visualize its importance in the history of bipedal locomotion. Eleanor is now a medical illustrator and animator specializing in patient education at Veritas Health in Chicago.

Eleanor Milman

Eleanor Milman

Graduate Student Intern

Levi Raskin
Full Profile

MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
BA McGill University

Eleanor completed her masters research in the lab, under the instruction of the PI and lab manager. For her thesis work, Eleanor reconstructed and animated part of the Dikika fossil to visualize its importance in the history of bipedal locomotion. Eleanor is now a medical illustrator and animator specializing in patient education at Veritas Health in Chicago.

Alumni Undergraduate Student Interns:

Rena Schwartz | Undergraduate Student Intern

Rena joined the lab in the summer of 2022 as an undergraduate intern and graduated from the University of Chicago in the spring of 2024 with a B.A. in Anthropology. "Under the mentorship of Dr. Farrell, I learned to identify and segment trabecular bone from cortical bone within the hominoid clavicle. The data from my internship later became my honors thesis, on trabecular response to muscular and joint attachments in the clavicle. While I loved the research itself, my favorite part of the lab has to be the people of the Alemseged Lab who made scrolling through several thousand slides of cross-sections fun. I will miss the 'What's Hot? What's Cold?' board with daily updates of everyone's troubles and happy things."

Rena Schwartz

Rena Schwartz

Undergraduate Student Intern

Intern Rena
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Rena joined the lab in the summer of 2022 as an undergraduate intern and graduated from the University of Chicago in the spring of 2024 with a B.A. in Anthropology. "Under the mentorship of Dr. Farrell, I learned to identify and segment trabecular bone from cortical bone within the hominoid clavicle. The data from my internship later became my honors thesis, on trabecular response to muscular and joint attachments in the clavicle. While I loved the research itself, my favorite part of the lab has to be the people of the Alemseged Lab who made scrolling through several thousand slides of cross-sections fun. I will miss the 'What's Hot? What's Cold?' board with daily updates of everyone's troubles and happy things."

Iris Jacobs | Undergraduate Student Intern

Iris joined the lab in October 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in anthropology with an interest in archaeology and scientific illustration. Since joining, she has learned 3D visualization and segmentation software and successfully contributed to important projects on hominin dentition.

Iris Jacobs

Iris Jacobs

Undergraduate Student Intern

Levi Raskin
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Iris joined the lab in October 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in anthropology with an interest in archaeology and scientific illustration. Since joining, she has learned 3D visualization and segmentation software and successfully contributed to important projects on hominin dentition.

Jennifer Sarabia | Undergraduate Student Intern

Jenn joined the lab in December 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in Anthropology with an interest in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology. In the lab, she is working on a project that focuses on the digital analysis of hominin dentition.

Jennifer Sarabia

Jennifer Sarabia

Undergraduate Student Intern

Jennifer Sarabia
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Jenn joined the lab in December 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in Anthropology with an interest in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology. In the lab, she is working on a project that focuses on the digital analysis of hominin dentition.

Nathaniel "Nathan" Downey | Undergraduate Student Intern

Nathan joined the lab in December 2017 as a student intern and successfully supported several projects under the supervision of senior lab members. In Spring 2018, Nathan graduated from the university with a BA in Anthropology and Biological Sciences. After graduating, he worked over the summer as an assistant field researcher studying bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nathaniel "Nathan" Downey

Nathaniel "Nathan" Downey

Undergraduate Student Intern

Jennifer Sarabia
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Nathan joined the lab in December 2017 as a student intern and successfully supported several projects under the supervision of senior lab members. In Spring 2018, Nathan graduated from the university with a BA in Anthropology and Biological Sciences. After graduating, he worked over the summer as an assistant field researcher studying bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Alumni High School Student Interns:

Kaylen Ng | High School Intern

Kaylen joined the lab in January 2024 as a high school intern and will be starting at Northwestern University in the fall. "Under Dr. Farrell I've had the amazing opportunity to analyze real CT scan data from museums around the world and gain new skills working with 3D imaging programs. I've loved this introductory experience into the behind-the-scenes of research and I'm excited to apply what I've learned!"

 

Kaylen Ng

Kaylen Ng

High School Intern

Intern Kaylen
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Kaylen joined the lab in January 2024 as a high school intern and will be starting at Northwestern University this fall. "Under Dr. Farrell I've had the amazing opportunity to analyze real CT scan data from museums around the world and gain new skills working with 3D imaging programs. I've loved this introductory experience into the behind-the-scenes of research and I'm excited to apply what I've learned!"

Levi Raskin | High School Intern

Levi joined the lab in March 2019 through a program at his high school, the Illinois Math and Science Academy. As a current high school senior, he is thinking about going to college for some combination of philosophy, chemistry, and archaeology. In the lab, he is working on the evolution of handedness by focusing on language and tool use.

In 2023, Levi was awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship while pursuing an education in anthropology at Haverford College. 

 

Levi Raskin

Levi Raskin

High School Intern

Levi Raskin
Full Profile

Levi joined the lab in March 2019 through a program at his high school, the Illinois Math and Science Academy. As a current high school senior, he is thinking about going to college for some combination of philosophy, chemistry, and archaeology. In the lab, he is working on the evolution of handedness by focusing on language and tool use.

In 2023, Levi was awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship while pursuing an education in anthropology at Haverford College. 

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