Dr. Melanie Martin

I am an Assistant Professor in Biological Anthropology at the University of Washington. My research examines biocultural influences, particularly related to nutrition and microbial exposures, influence growth and development. My most recent research, in collaboration with Claudia Valeggia and the Chaco Area Reproductive Ecology Program, examines anthropometric and hormonal changes during pubertal development in Toba/Qom girls. I completed my PhD in Anthropology at the University of California Santa Barbara in 2015. My dissertation research, conducted with Tsimane mothers and infants in the Bolivian Amazon, examined maternal and infant factors associated with duration of exclusive breastfeeding. I am also collaborating on several projects examining variation in maternal milk composition and human microbiomes.