565: Analyzing the Surfaces of Ancient Teeth to Understand Human Evolution - Dr. Shara Bailey

People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

Dr. Shara Bailey is Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Anthropology at New York University (NYU) and Associated Researcher in the Department of Human Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Shara studies the bumps and grooves on the surface of teeth, and she uses these bumps and grooves to answer questions about human evolution. Outside of her research, Shara is passionate about mentoring students to help them discover what they are passionate about and how to turn their passions into a career. In addition, she is an avid outdoors enthusiast who enjoys hiking, skiing, kayaking, going for walks, and watching the sun set. Shara is also an artist, and she specializes in painting landscapes and finding the beauty in everyday things. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Temple University, and she was awarded her M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Arizona State University. Afterwards, Shara conducted postdoctoral research in the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at The George Washington University. She then worked as a Research Scientist at The Max Planck Institute Department of Human Evolution before joining the faculty at NYU. She has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including The Golden Dozen Teaching Award from New York University, a Goddard Junior Faculty Fellowship, a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences, and others. In our interview, Shara shares more about her life and science.