• Maya Szafraniec

    Graduate Student @ University of California, Santa Barbara

    I am a graduate student in Integrated Anthropological Sciences. I study fetal-maternal conflict through the lens of comparative life history, ecology, and evolutionary theory. I use computational biology and genomics to examine the consequences of these trade offs on proximal impacts to health and disease, as well as on larger evolutionary questions. Areas where these conflicts may occur include fetal microchimerism and placenta biology.

     

    I earned my B.S. in Biology with minors in Anthropology and Mathematics from Saint Mary’s College of California, studying variation in gorilla skeletal morphology, specifically related to locomotor differences that may be correlated with altitude.

     

  • Education 

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    University of California Santa Barbara

    M. A (2019-2021)

    Integrative Anthropological Sciences

    3.98 GPA

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    Saint Mary's College of California

    B.S. (2015-2019)

    Biology, Magna cum laude,

    3.75 GPA

    Minors in Mathematics and Anthropology

  • Research

    Placenta Life History + Genomic conflict

    Examines the relationship between two elements of placental physiology and the life history characteristics of 648 mammals under the framework of resource trade off and genomic conflict.

    Synthetic Cell Lab

    Acts as biological science consultant for a group of cultural anthropologists studying publics risk perception of two forms of synthetic cell--synthetic neurons and protein based proteocells

    Ozone (undergraduate)

    Studies the variation of ozone across California in two ways. First by using 20 years of historical hourly ozone data in the Los Angeles area to quantify the weekend effect, when concentrations of ozone increase on the weekends despite less traffic. Secondly by collecting ozone concentration data from high altitudes in Yosemite National park to record real time air pollution.

    Gorilla skeletal morphology (undergraduate)

    Investigates the variation in Eastern and Western gorilla scapula shape based on altitude group (n=174). Higher altitude tend to have shorter vegetation, resulting in less arboreal behavior. This research looks for evidence of behaviorally based speciation among gorillas

  • Publications

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    The Evolution of Placenta Diversification and Mammalian Reproductive Strategies

    Presented at AAPA 2021, ISEMPH 2021

    Szafraniec, Maya, and Amy M. Boddy. "The Evolution of Placenta Diversification and Mammalian Reproductive Strategies." AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Vol. 174. 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY, 2021.

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    Endometriosis as a Disease of Somatic Evolution

    eLife

    In progress with co-authors Amy Boddy, Tiffany Pan, and Athena Aktipis

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    Does sexual dimporphism in the gorilla scapula vary with altitude?

    Presented at AAPA 2020

    Szafraniec, Maya, and Rebecca S. Jabbour. "Does sexual dimorphism in the gorilla scapula vary with altitude?." AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Vol. 171. 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY, 2020.

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    Scapula shape and altitude in eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei)

    Presented at AAPA 2019

    Szafraniec, Maya, and Rebecca S. Jabbour. "Scapula shape and altitude in eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei)." AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Vol. 168. 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY, 2019.

  • Outreach

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    American Association of Physical Anthropologists

    Ethics Committee Fellow

    Student Member

    Feb 2020 - April 2021

    March 2019 - Current

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    Broom Center for Demography

    Graduate Student Associate

    November 2019- Current

     

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    International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health

    Student Member

    March 2020- Current

     

  • Sample Data Analysis Projects

  • CV

  • Contact me

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