Tell us about your research in only three sentences:
Teeth! Over the past two decades I have concentrated on determining how dental tissues may resolve taxonomic, phylogenetic, and developmental questions about the origin and evolution of humans. Teeth are quite unique as they preserve incredibly precise records of childhood — including diet, health, and environment, and their proper functioning has been crucial for our evolutionary success.
What are some achievements from the last few years you are really proud of?
I published a collaborative paper in Science Advances last year detailing how the teeth of Neanderthal children can be used to reconstruct weekly records of ancient climate, nursing behaviour, and illness (link: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/10/eaau9483/tab-article-info). Leading an amazing group of anthropologists, archaeologists, earth scientists, and public health specialists to make these discoveries was one of my most satisfying accomplishments, and our team was a finalist for the Australian Museum’s 2019 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. Another notable achievement was co-hosting the Biological Anthropology Women’s Mentoring Network’s 10-year anniversary party in April 2019. I co-founded BAWMN with some friends as women are underrepresented in paleoanthropology and at the senior academic ranks, and I really enjoy connecting with network members during our happy hour each year at the American Association for Physical (Biological) Anthropology meetings.
What is it that drew you to your research topic?
I am drawn to empirical research and studying things that can be quantified precisely. I originally enrolled in a doctoral program to study great ape behaviour, which I still find fascinating, but never found a research question or approach that really lit me up until I learned about the biological rhythms inside teeth. Once I started to gain experience in the study of tooth microstructure, I realized that there were novel problems I wanted to solve and enough related evolutionary applications to keep me busy for an entire career.
How do you stay passionate and focused on your goals as your career progresses?
Even after twenty years of seriously thinking about how teeth grow, I am still on fire about them! Last week we were collecting some isotopic data from primate teeth with an ion microprobe, and I was able to precisely document birth through distinct elemental shifts — which raises so many questions about what is going on inside mothers and infants during this profound transition, as well as what the enamel-forming cells are doing to create this invaluable structural and chemical record. You can read more on these birth lines here
How do you balance work and social life and do you have any tips for achieving this?
I’ve surrendered the idea that they stay in balance for too long. During various phases in my career I’ve prioritized one at the expense of the other, noting how this impacts my well-being, and making adjustments when I’ve felt too far off centre or that my career needed an extra boost. My advice would be to get clear on what you really value, and what you can let go of without too much regret — for me this means focusing on a few close relationships and favourite hobbies, and not worrying too much about how well I conform to most social norms.
Grant or job failures are commonplace in science. How do you deal with rejection and do you think there are ways as a scientific community we can help each other through this inevitable part of our work?
I try to take rejection or criticism in bite-sized chunks. I’ll open a paper or grant review, scan it, and then put it down until I feel more neutral and can return to it without my initial emotional response. While rejection is inevitable — I find that situations where bias is also a factor are especially difficult to accept, and think we can help each other to understand dynamics like unconscious bias and stereotype threat much better. Finally, when supervisors and mentors share their own experiences of rejection this helps to normalize it for trainees, while underscoring that resilience is an essential skill for academics.
Are you actively involved in science communication? If so, what efforts do you pursue to get the public engaged with your science?
I am seriously committed to science communication, and think that successful academics who receive government funding have an obligation to let the public know why science is interesting and important. I wrote and illustrated a 70,000-word popular science book called The Tales Teeth Tell: Development, Evolution, Behavior (link) that was published last year by MIT Press. I also contribute to The Conversation when I have something interesting to share. I routinely lecture at natural history museums, science festivals, public-led science enthusiast clubs, and am frequently contacted by the scientific press to help explain current research in human evolutionary biology. It’s a real privilege to do this work, and Griffith University has been especially supportive in these efforts.
Website: www.drtanyamsmith.com
Twitter: @DrTanyaMSmith
Teeth! Over the past two decades I have concentrated on determining how dental tissues may resolve taxonomic, phylogenetic, and developmental questions about the origin and evolution of humans. Teeth are quite unique as they preserve incredibly precise records of childhood — including diet, health, and environment, and their proper functioning has been crucial for our evolutionary success.
What are some achievements from the last few years you are really proud of?
I published a collaborative paper in Science Advances last year detailing how the teeth of Neanderthal children can be used to reconstruct weekly records of ancient climate, nursing behaviour, and illness (link: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/10/eaau9483/tab-article-info). Leading an amazing group of anthropologists, archaeologists, earth scientists, and public health specialists to make these discoveries was one of my most satisfying accomplishments, and our team was a finalist for the Australian Museum’s 2019 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. Another notable achievement was co-hosting the Biological Anthropology Women’s Mentoring Network’s 10-year anniversary party in April 2019. I co-founded BAWMN with some friends as women are underrepresented in paleoanthropology and at the senior academic ranks, and I really enjoy connecting with network members during our happy hour each year at the American Association for Physical (Biological) Anthropology meetings.
What is it that drew you to your research topic?
I am drawn to empirical research and studying things that can be quantified precisely. I originally enrolled in a doctoral program to study great ape behaviour, which I still find fascinating, but never found a research question or approach that really lit me up until I learned about the biological rhythms inside teeth. Once I started to gain experience in the study of tooth microstructure, I realized that there were novel problems I wanted to solve and enough related evolutionary applications to keep me busy for an entire career.
How do you stay passionate and focused on your goals as your career progresses?
Even after twenty years of seriously thinking about how teeth grow, I am still on fire about them! Last week we were collecting some isotopic data from primate teeth with an ion microprobe, and I was able to precisely document birth through distinct elemental shifts — which raises so many questions about what is going on inside mothers and infants during this profound transition, as well as what the enamel-forming cells are doing to create this invaluable structural and chemical record. You can read more on these birth lines here
How do you balance work and social life and do you have any tips for achieving this?
I’ve surrendered the idea that they stay in balance for too long. During various phases in my career I’ve prioritized one at the expense of the other, noting how this impacts my well-being, and making adjustments when I’ve felt too far off centre or that my career needed an extra boost. My advice would be to get clear on what you really value, and what you can let go of without too much regret — for me this means focusing on a few close relationships and favourite hobbies, and not worrying too much about how well I conform to most social norms.
Grant or job failures are commonplace in science. How do you deal with rejection and do you think there are ways as a scientific community we can help each other through this inevitable part of our work?
I try to take rejection or criticism in bite-sized chunks. I’ll open a paper or grant review, scan it, and then put it down until I feel more neutral and can return to it without my initial emotional response. While rejection is inevitable — I find that situations where bias is also a factor are especially difficult to accept, and think we can help each other to understand dynamics like unconscious bias and stereotype threat much better. Finally, when supervisors and mentors share their own experiences of rejection this helps to normalize it for trainees, while underscoring that resilience is an essential skill for academics.
Are you actively involved in science communication? If so, what efforts do you pursue to get the public engaged with your science?
I am seriously committed to science communication, and think that successful academics who receive government funding have an obligation to let the public know why science is interesting and important. I wrote and illustrated a 70,000-word popular science book called The Tales Teeth Tell: Development, Evolution, Behavior (link) that was published last year by MIT Press. I also contribute to The Conversation when I have something interesting to share. I routinely lecture at natural history museums, science festivals, public-led science enthusiast clubs, and am frequently contacted by the scientific press to help explain current research in human evolutionary biology. It’s a real privilege to do this work, and Griffith University has been especially supportive in these efforts.
Website: www.drtanyamsmith.com
Twitter: @DrTanyaMSmith