Amanda Lea

A group of people is seated on a brightly patterned mat inside a rustic room. A local man smiles and waves at the camera, while others, including two researchers using tablet devices, sit nearby. The background includes personal belongings and a small fan, giving the space a homely feel.

Beyond the Thrifty Genotype: Examining Evolutionary Hypotheses for Modern Metabolic Health

Nov. 12, 2024—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Scientific Coordinator A new review co-led by graduate students Layla Brassington and Audrey Arner of the Lea Lab discusses the formulation of the popular and impactful Thrifty Genotype Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by James Neel in 1962, suggests that fat deposition and energy conservation were once useful traits in times...

Vanderbilt Researcher Identifies Modes of Natural Selection in Understudied Human Populations

Feb. 16, 2023—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator (Spanish/español) Amanda Lea, assistant professor of biology, along with a global team of experts, have discovered new pathways of natural selection in humans. The group, led by Tsimane Health and Life History Project co-Director Michael Gurven of the University of California, Santa Barbara, studied two populations of Bolivians...

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Trainees of ESI receive high praise

Apr. 8, 2022—By: Andy Flick Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator We congratulate all trainees who applied for grants this cycle regardless of the result. Putting together major grants is hard work and a feat in and of itself. So, for those that didn’t get funded, keep your heads up, we still think you’re awesome! For the NSF...