Dr Emily Emmott

Dr Emily Emmott

@ehemmott.bsky.social

Associate Prof in Biological Anthropology, bringing Evolution to Public Health. Director of Education at UCL Anthropology. Profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/30051

1.7K followers1K following100 posts

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Prof. Gillian Brown
@gillianrbrown1.bsky.social

Lots of interesting chapters in this open-access volume on "Culture, Identity, and Essentialism: Anthropological and Psychological Approaches" (2026), edited by Wolfgang Wagner and Cristina Moya @hyperadapthyrax.bsky.social. #psychscisky #philbio #ehbea #hbes link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

link.springer.comCulture, Identity, and EssentialismThis open access book approaches topics of culture, identity, and essentialism through an anthropological and psychological lens.
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Exploring autophotography as a quasi-naturalistic observational method. In Evolutionary Anthropology, participant observations are super important - but sometimes, we can't follow people! Autophotography could work as one of the solutions to address these challenges. doi.org/10.1002/evan...

doi.orgDiversifying Methods in Evolutionary Anthropology: Autophotography as a Tool for Quasi‐Naturalistic Observation of Human BehaviorA comprehensive evolutionary account of human behavior demands simultaneous consideration of biology, local ecology, and culture. Historically, evolutionary anthropology integrated these dimensions t...

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Vivek V. Venkataraman
@vivek123.bsky.social

Our new paper is out in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health! Led by the amazing @marinawatowich.bsky.social What drives worsening cardiometabolic health during urbanization in Indigenous populations? We expected it to be diet. But actually, it was the built environment.

academic.oup.comBuilt environment is a key driver of cardiometabolic health in two indigenous groups undergoing rapid lifestyle changeAbstractBackground. Globally, subsistence-level societies are experiencing rapid urbanization and concomitant increases in cardiometabolic diseases. Genera

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

EHBEA
@ehbea.bsky.social

🚨MASTER AND SCHOLARSHIP ANOUNCEMENT🚨 The MSc in Human Evolution and Behaviour at University College London is a broad-based programme run by experts in the field. This year they are excited to share 2 bursaries for Home/UK students, and 1 for International students - based on financial need.

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Just looking through some breastfeeding public health posters, and pleasantly surprised by the newer NHS ones. We've come a long way from posters telling women it's natural/instinctive & breastfeeding means love and care.

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

A reminder that we have MSc/MA bursaries for home fee students at UCL Anthropology!

Dr Emily Emmott@ehemmott.bsky.social

Funding for students!! New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students: www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships... You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞 www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...

ucl.ac.ukJulia Scott Memorial BursaryThe aim of the Julia Scott Memorial Bursary is intended to enable students in financial need to pursue their postgraduate studies in the Anthropology Department at UCL.

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Human Behavior & Evolution Society
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social

Two postdoctoral opportunities in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University! The Pontzer Lab is hiring for projects on human ecology, energetics, and aging & health. More info: www.hbes.com/two-postdoct...

hbes.comTwo postdoctoral opportunities in evolutionary anthropology at Duke - HBEShttps://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30783 Position Description The Pontzer Lab in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University seeks two Postdoctoral Associates for research in h...
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Funding for students!! New £6k UCL Anthropology MSc Bursary for Home students: www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships... You can also apply to the £10k UCL Bursary at the same time - so if you get both, it should cover all your fees & a chunk of living costs🤞 www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...

ucl.ac.ukJulia Scott Memorial BursaryThe aim of the Julia Scott Memorial Bursary is intended to enable students in financial need to pursue their postgraduate studies in the Anthropology Department at UCL.

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Abbey Page
@abbeyepage.bsky.social

This is a great thing to do - I did it, loved it and it underpinned a Phil Trans B special issue 💜 If you want any advice DM me Also my (with @drsarahmyers.bsky.social and @ehemmott.bsky.social successful application is on the EHBEA website to help guide you…. Just saying there’s still time 🕰️

EHBEA@ehbea.bsky.social

🚨 GRANT APPLICATION 🚨 Do not forget to apply for the workshop/event grant from EHBEA in case you are organising a scientific event 😉 DEADLINE: September 11th, 2025

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Rebecca Sear
@rebeccasear.bsky.social

"It is crucial to make psychology inclusive of all the world's people but vitally important to do this in ways that are respectful, ethical & empirically accurate. I weigh the promises & pitfalls of research in small-scale societies & discuss how we can improve our research practices moving forward"

annualreviews.orgPsychology Within and Without the State | Annual ReviewsPsychological research in small-scale societies is crucial for what it stands to tell us about human psychological diversity. However, people in these communities, typically Indigenous communities in ...
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Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

It was clear in my interviews that parental experiences in pregnancy and birth were strongly influencing how parents viewed their children's BMI measurements being taken at school as part of the National Child Measurement Programme. Depersonalised care has long-term impact!

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

There are lots of other findings in the paper🙂 It was nice to see findings align with evolutionary approaches to public health - that people don't live their lives prioritising health - but no space for discussion about this in the paper. Will leave that for another time!

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Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

BUT: If parents had negative experiences of medical measurements in the past, they rejected the usefulness of PH initiatives to measure children's BMI. Like other parents, they viewed BMI as uncertain, but felt suspicion and discomfort around BMI being used as a diagnosis of "unhealthy weight."

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

These participants often went to great length recalling their pregnancy/birth/postnatal experiences, where medical measurements were used bluntly to place them in "high risk" categories without careful consultation. This led to poor experiences & manifested as mistrust in healthcare + measurements.

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Finding which I found most interesting: Parents understood BMI as an imprecise measure. Many parents nonetheless found it as a useful indicator to track children's growth. They accepted the uncertainty of BMI, combined it with other info, and used it to check children's physical growth.

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

And you tell your GP and midwife how awful it is, but they just don't... get it. They tell you to "go to A&E if you can't keep liquid down." But this advice is totally pointless when you are constantly drinking and constantly vomiting. Should you go to A&E... all the time???

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Heart-Pages
@heart-pages.bsky.social

Jane Lancaster, my doctoral adviser, was a giant in our field. She taught me one can be assertive and kind at the same time. Her legacy of both research and mentorship spans across the globe. Dr. Jane Lancaster, Pioneer in Human Evolutionary Sciences (1935-2025) share.google/TdRdZD6eD5nR...

share.google In Memoriam: Dr. Jane Lancaster, Pioneer in Human Evolutionary Sciences (1935-2025) :: Anthropology | The University of New Mexico

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Rebecca Sear
@rebeccasear.bsky.social

“Parenting is never perfect. Cultures raise children differently, shaping adults valued by their own standards. But one truth emerges: Learning to care for others should start long before having a baby” www.sapiens.org/biology/to-r...

sapiens.orgTo Raise Children, We Must First Raise ParentsAn anthropologist compares her early motherhood in London with child care experiences in a hunter-gatherer community of Central Africa.
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Have 15 mins spare? One of our MSc students from UCL Anthropology is investigating global attitudes to breastfeeding. Anyone can take part, from anywhere in the world! Available in various languages (select on top-right dropdown box) 日本語バージョンもあります！ Click link to take part👉 tinyurl.com/2t4us4ss

tinyurl.comQualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience ManagementThe most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Rebecca Sear
@rebeccasear.bsky.social

A comparison of 2 industrialised populations (Italy, Singapore) with 2 indigenous populations (Tsimane, Bolivia & Orang Asli, Malaysia) suggests inflammaging - age-associated increase in chronic inflammation, considered a hallmark of aging - is a byproduct of industrialisation, not a human universal

nature.comNonuniversality of inflammaging across human populations - Nature AgingAnalyzing readouts of inflammaging across four cohorts, Franck and colleagues identify strong variation and observe that inflammaging, in its known form, primarily emerges in industrialized—but not no...
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

UK Peeps: Please consider writing to your MP, asking them to support Amendment NC17 to the Crime and Policing Bill to decriminalise abortions. This *does not* mean that people will now get access to "illegal abortions"; it simply means that abortions will no longer be treated as a criminal matter. 👇

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Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Laws are clumsy, but healthcare is complex - and they don't fit well together. A "one size fits all" approach doesn't work for healthcare, and prescriptive legislation will always lead to someone suffering unnecessarily. Today it's someone else's shocking story, but it could easily be yours or mine.

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

UK Peeps: Please consider writing to your MP, asking them to support Amendment NC17 to the Crime and Policing Bill to decriminalise abortions. This *does not* mean that people will now get access to "illegal abortions"; it simply means that abortions will no longer be treated as a criminal matter. 👇

Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

Access to safe abortions is an important part of reproductive healthcare. The current law *criminalises* abortions over 24 weeks, meaning some women who miscarry later undergo police investigations, adding to their distress and trauma (you can read about that here: observer.co.uk/news/nationa... )

observer.co.ukPolice could search homes and phones after pregnancy loss | The ObserverNew national guidance suggests officers look for menstrual tracking apps or abortion drugs

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Laure Spake
@lspake.bsky.social

🚨 Seeking practitioners, researchers, or students involved in forensic anthropology and/or skeletal trauma interpretation 🚨 Help us understand how forensic practitioners interpret gun shot and other trauma on long bones by participating in a short survey! binghamton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

binghamton.qualtrics.comQualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience ManagementThe most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

"...when it comes to all-class [mental health] lessons, we should listen to the evidence, and to young people themselves. We came up with a good idea, we spent a lot of time and money testing it, and we have our answer. Given the evidence, we should now stop doing those lessons."

theguardian.comMental-health lessons in schools sound like a great idea. The trouble is, they don’t work | Lucy FoulkesAll-class therapy sessions don’t help, and may even make matters worse. The evidence shows we need different solutions, says Dr Lucy Foulkes, an academic psychologist at Oxford University
Dr Lucy Foulkes@lucyfoulkes.bsky.social

I’m in the Guardian today, arguing that we should stop them all-class mental health lessons in schools I've thought very carefully about ‘going public’ with this, because it's a sensitive argument to make, especially in the face of so many young people struggling. (cont 🧵) tinyurl.com/vun92cz7

theguardian.comMental-health lessons in schools sound like a great idea. The trouble is, they don’t work | Lucy FoulkesAll-class therapy sessions don’t help, and may even make matters worse. The evidence shows we need different solutions, says Dr Lucy Foulkes, an academic psychologist at Oxford University

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Dr Lucy Foulkes
@lucyfoulkes.bsky.social

I’m in the Guardian today, arguing that we should stop them all-class mental health lessons in schools I've thought very carefully about ‘going public’ with this, because it's a sensitive argument to make, especially in the face of so many young people struggling. (cont 🧵) tinyurl.com/vun92cz7

theguardian.comMental-health lessons in schools sound like a great idea. The trouble is, they don’t work | Lucy FoulkesAll-class therapy sessions don’t help, and may even make matters worse. The evidence shows we need different solutions, says Dr Lucy Foulkes, an academic psychologist at Oxford University
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

A reminder that there is a Home fee bursery for UCL Masters degree programmes! Join us at UCL Anthropology! www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships...

Dr Emily Emmott@ehemmott.bsky.social

Thinking of doing an MSc in Evolutionary Anthropology? A reminder that UCL are offering **200 bursaries** for home fee students: www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships... 👀 More about our MSc in Human Evolution and Behaviour here: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

ucl.ac.ukUCL Master's BursaryThe UCL Master's Bursary aims to enable and encourage those from lower income backgrounds to pursue a full-time or part-time Master's degree studies at UCL.

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Cultural Evolution Society
@culturalevolsoc.bsky.social

The 2025 Cultural Evolution Society awards are now open for applications! -Outreach Award (2 awards, up to $2,500 each) forms.gle/Eq6BhtnptQLQ... -ECR Grant (2 awards, up to $3,000 each) forms.gle/69DpptguwRqN... -Building Research Capacity Award (1 award, up to $6,000) forms.gle/ZLGEW612GbZ4...

forms.gleACE Outreach AwardsCES will give out two awards of up to $2500 each to support activities that translate cultural evolution research for a non-academic audience or for students outside of the field of cultural evolution...
Dr Emily Emmott
@ehemmott.bsky.social

And just want to congratulate my co-author and MRes Anthropology graduate Imogen who got news of PhD funding today! Well done for all your hard work and persistence Imogen ❤️

Dr Emily Emmott@ehemmott.bsky.social

Well done to my fantastic ex-student Imogen Hensler for her paper based on her MRes Anthropology research! Performance of Femininity as the Potential Determinant of Lower Well-Being Among Adolescent Girls in London, UK: An Exploratory Discourse Analysis: doi.org/10.1177/1049...

doi.orgSage Journals: Discover world-class researchSubscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Dr Emily Emmott reposted

Youth Resilience Unit
@qmulresilience.bsky.social

New paper alert - Performance of Femininity as the Potential Determinant of Lower Well-Being Among Adolescent Girls in London, UK: An Exploratory Discourse Analysis - is there a sociological mechanism which is creating the gender gap in mental health outcomes at adolescence in the UK?