Office: Eielson 309
Phone: 907 474 6110
Email: kara.hoover @ alaska.edu

I'm a biological anthropologist interested in population biology and genetics. My interests in population biology are focused on prehistoric hunter-gatherer health and adaptation. My interest in genetics lies primarily in human olfactory receptor gene variation and how this corresponds to variation in odor perception cross-culturally.

I consider myself to be a four-field anthropologist and am committed to the tradition of field work in anthropology. As such, I have conducted research in international labs studying Imperial Roman remains in Italy, prehistoric Jomon Japanese across the Japanese islands, and North American prehistoric hunter-gatherers (Florida and the Mid-Atlantic region) .

As a biological anthropologist with training in skeletal biology/human osteology, dental anthropology, and human variation, I am also committed to high quality scientific labwork using the most current and rigorous methods and techniques. At UAF, I run the molecular anthropology lab (aDNA and modern human DNA), which I have equipped with standard PCR and real time quantitative PCR with high resolution melting. I have also helped establish the Chemical Bioarchaeology lab, a clean room for use in preparing human and animal remains for stable isotope and aDNA analysis.

I am also affiliate faculty in the Molecular Chemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty.