Estimation of age and health in individuals deceased on the United States/Mexico Border
Sabrina Agarwal, Professor
Anthropology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
The deaths of Undocumented Border Crossers (UBC’s) continue to remain an area of engagement and research among bioanthropologists within the United States, specifically in the border states of Arizona, Texas, and California. Ongoing research within the Skeletal Biology lab seeks to analyze skeletal samples from the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner’s Office (PCOME) that were collected from deceased individuals crossing the United States/Mexico border via Arizona, in order to understand the roots causes leading to the migration crisis, specifically conditions of structural violence. The remains were brought into the PCOME in order to obtain a possible biological profile (age, sex) in order to identify individuals and missing persons. This part of the study seeks to use and test a microscopic (histological) method to establish the age at death of individuals (particular with some individuals having poor preservation) and also identify possible other pathological conditions. This data will be then used in conjunction with ethnographic data and other skeletal data to get a holistic approach on the lives of those individuals that cross from various areas in Latin America to the United States.
Role: The undergraduate student involved in this project will be provided with a background in the ongoing project concerning migrant deaths along the United States/Mexico border, their identification, and repatriation. Additionally, they will be provided information on how the samples were acquired as well as background on the PCOME’s work with undocumented migrants. Histological analysis (including prepping samples for making thin sections, and analysis with image analysis software) will be conducted within the lab using the 4th rib cross-section samples of approximately 28 individuals. In addition, cortical bone and overall bone structure will also be noted to determine possible pathological disruptions the individual may have had during their life, and potentially piece together the ways structural violence and racial inequality are reflected in the embodied experience of border migrants.
Qualifications: To be a good candidate for this job you should be highly detail-oriented, organized, reliable, patient, diligent, and coordinated for delicate hands-on work. Applicants must be willing to work carefully and respectfully with forensic human skeletal materials. Histology is an incredibly detailed, time-consuming process, so applicants who showcase concentration for extended periods of time and patience will be prioritized. Students must be willing to follow proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols and standard operating procedures within lab. Prerequisites: having taken or current enrollment in Anth 127A (Skeletal Biology/Bioarcheology), Anthro 112, osteology, or otherwise knowledge of human skeletal system and bone biology. Quantitate analysis and understanding is a plus and skills with Excel and any statistical software (SPSS, JMP, R) would also be great.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Martha Diaz , Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: www.sabrinaagarwal.com
Social Sciences