A quarter century ago, Building a New Biocultural Synthesis (Goodman and Leatherman, 1998) transformed the field of biocultural anthropology by foregrounding the roles of history, power, and political economy in shaping human health and biology. In 2025, the Wenner-Gren Foundation convened a new generation of scholars alongside the original architects of the synthesis for an intergenerational, interdisciplinary, and more global seminar titled “Biocultural Anthropology for the Challenges of the 21st Century.” The seminar engaged 18 participants from nine countries* in an intensive three-day collaboration to chart the future of an engaged biocultural anthropology—one that investigates how biocultural anthropology and applied action can come together.

In this presentation, we share key outcomes from that seminar, including the articulation of foundational engaged biocultural theories and concepts (e.g., embodiment, decoloniality, structural vulnerability), methodological innovations in community-based and action research, and pedagogical frameworks for training the next generation of biocultural students and scholars. We also synthesize engaged resources—including a global view of professional networks, funding pathways, and digital platforms—intended to help researchers integrate applied and justice-oriented approaches into their work. Together, this summary of engaged biocultural approaches extends the biocultural synthesis into the current moment and positions biocultural scholars to investigate and address the complex social and ecological challenges of our century.

*Kenya, South Africa, Mexico, United States, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Australia, England

The American Journal of Human Biology (AJHB) has published research on human biology, health, and disease since 1989. The goal of this study was to identify trends in research themes, including theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, over this 36-year period. To achieve this goal, we adopted a mixed-methods approach that combined large language model (LLM) topic modelling, using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), with qualitative expert review. Our dataset comprised 3,404 abstracts and metadata (e.g., author, year, title) published between 1989 and April 2025 retrieved from PubMed. We used BERT-based clustering as a first-pass classifier and then expert consensus to refine and name the clusters as themes. For a random sample of 54 abstracts, BERT achieved 78% accuracy in F-score test compared to expert review. Fourteen major themes emerged. We then examined temporal changes in these 14 themes. The themes Growth and Development, and Body Composition dominated early on and have remained frequent with time. In contrast, Genetics, while common, declined in recent years. Maternal, Fetal, and Infant Health, and Demography and Reproduction, while always common, increased, especially since 2010. Meanwhile, the themes Stress Biology, Metabolic Disease Biology, Immune Function and Infectious Disease, Nutrition and Sleep, while less prevalent have shown gradual growth. Overall, while a set of themes dominate the journal, the trends we found signal a transition from descriptive toward multi-level, theory-driven analyses of health and disease and underscore the journal’s responsiveness to emerging scientific paradigms and global health challenges, offering a roadmap for future scholarship.

The biocultural approach has been widely applied in transdisciplinary research addressing topics across diverse disciplines. Notably, it plays a central role in medical anthropology, where it serves as a key framework for research. However, the extent to which Canadian biological medical anthropologists embrace a biocultural approach in their research is unknown. Further, the precise definition of the biocultural approach is not clearly defined.

For this presentation we used a Google search of faculty university biographies to identify:

1. Medical anthropologists who are faculty members at a public post-secondary institution in Canada

2. Medical anthropologists who self-identify as using biocultural methods

Out of the identified biological medical anthropologists, we explore frequency of the usage of the biocultural approach in their research within the last 10 years.

Our preliminary findings suggest that in departments with at least one medical anthropologist (total anthropology faculty of 546), 10.2% identify as medical anthropologists. 3.5% of anthropology faculty self-identified as a biological medical anthropologist. Of all medical anthropologists in Canada, 33.92% identify as biological medical anthropologists. Common research areas include disease, global and public health, nutrition, and maternal and infant health. Less common areas of interest are mental health, trauma and surgery, and disability studies.

Achieving a precise percentage as to who are medical anthropologists proved to be a challenge. We propose an expansive definition of the biocultural approach within medical anthropology, which includes the physical and social environments. Future research requires interviews with medical anthropologists to elucidate their perspectives on what is biological medical anthropology.

Ethnic minorities often experience disproportionately negative health outcomes, with persistent inequalities across physical and mental health indicators. Conventional clinical approaches, usually based on Eurocentric and top-down frameworks, have shown limited success in addressing these disparities. The CHEER (Creative Health Equity and Empowerment Resources) toolkit has been designed specifically for ethnically diverse communities. CHEER is structured around six interconnected work packages, each capable of functioning independently yet designed to operate as a cohesive system: (1) establishment of a stakeholder engagement panel to embed lived experience in community health initiatives; (2) mapping of existing creative and health assets in a given geographic area; (3) assessment of readiness for creative health interventions across communities, arts assets, and health/social care systems; (4) participatory co-design of culturally appropriate models to integrate creative assets into health structures; (5) establishment of a 12-week creative health programme to improve physical health and wellbeing, evaluated through objective measures and biomarkers; (6) synthesis and integration of results within broader creative health networks. Grounded in participatory and interdisciplinary methodologies using a biocultural framework, CHEER provides culturally sensitive, community-driven pathways to improve health outcomes through art. By addressing systemic barriers and amplifying existing assets, it offers a transferable model for reducing ethnic-based health inequalities and supporting more inclusive, resilient health systems.

Humans have plastic biological systems that integrate information from multiple sources to tailor individual development to local environments. This observation has sparked debate about the capacity of humans to accurately predict their future adult environments based on environmental cues. Proposed strategies include 1) genetic predictions based on many generations of natural selection, 2) sampling cues from each organism’s own early life, and 3) intergenerational strategies like “phenotypic inertia,” which uses cues sampled by grandmothers and mothers. But under what ecological conditions is it adaptive to rely on each of these strategies? Previous theory has used mathematical modeling to explore this question without incorporating unique characteristics of human life history. To address this gap, we present a mathematical model which assesses the accuracy of predictive sampling strategies in stationary environments that fluctuate around a constant mean. Our model suggests that under stationary conditions, organisms typically benefit from relying on a genetic prediction reflecting the environment’s long-term mean. Only in highly stable environments (autocorrelation>0.96) did we observe lower prediction errors in strategies that incorporate early-life and recent-matrilineal cues. The best-performing non-genetic strategy used cues from both an organism’s own early life and recent matrilineal ancestors. Next steps will include assessing the accuracy of strategies in non-stationary environments (environments with underlying variability in the mean) which represent large periodic ecological shifts, like those experienced during rapid environmental fluctuations or by migratory populations.

The Bodh tribe, an indigenous community inhabiting the cold mountainous regions of the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, represents a culturally and genetically distinct population within North India. Belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language family, the Bodh people include those who migrated from Tibet to India before 1962, later recognised as a Scheduled Tribe, while post-1962 migrants were categorised as Tibetans. Although the Bodh share linguistic and ancestral ties with East Asian (Tibetan) groups, their genetic composition remains largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we investigated the genetic diversity of 46 selected Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers. We compared our findings with those from East Asian populations in the 1000 Genomes Project (Phase 3), given their shared ancestral background. Genotyping results revealed moderate to high levels of genetic variation across loci, with several SNPs showing deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium due to excess heterozygosity. This pattern may be attributed to seasonal migration, their semi-nomadic lifestyle, and the prevalence of inter-caste marriages within the community. Comparative analysis with East Asian reference datasets revealed notable differences in allele frequencies for several markers and identified the presence of novel alleles at three SNPs. These findings highlight the distinct genetic identity of the Bodh tribe within the broader South Asian and East Asian genetic landscape, underscoring the importance of integrating population genetics and anthropology to understand localised human diversity.

Previous research consistently links human pulmonary function, especially in women, to digit ratios (2D:4D) – an indicator of prenatal androgen/estrogen exposure. In our study, we tested the relationship between lungs function (vital capacity) and 2D:4D among modern Yakuts (N=184; 90 males, mean age 21 ± 3 years), representatives of an Asian population in North-Eastern Siberia whose respiratory system is adapted to the low-temperature climate. Digit ratios were significantly lower, while vital capacity higher in Yakut males than females. Our results revealed a highly significant negative association between 2D:4D and vital capacity in women, whereas in men these parameters were not related. We further hypothesized that this sex-specific pattern might stem from significant postnatal androgen exposure in males, potentially overshadowing the influence of prenatal androgenization. Given that pubertal androgens drive sex differences in facial shape, we subsequently examined the relationship between facial shape and vital capacity in the same Yakut sample. This analysis utilized geometric morphometrics applied to facial photographs. We found a strong association between facial shape and vital capacity in both sexes, specifically involving the shape of nasal wings, nose bridge, and glabella area. Additionally, in men, a prominent association was observed with the lower face shape. Such association was absent in women. The lower face is a key sex-specific facial feature; intriguingly, more masculine lower facial shapes in Yakut males were associated with lower vital capacity. These findings are discussed considering long-term respiratory adaptations to low-temperature environments.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a mitochondria-dense, heat producing fat activated by mild cold exposure. Research conducted among free living populations have inferred BAT activity among the Sakha of Siberia, reindeer herders in Finland, and Samoans. This work has revealed a great deal of variation in BAT activity not only between populations but within them, leaving far more questions than answers about what is driving said variation. Here we assessed seasonal BAT activity among reindeer herders (N=16, F=8) and indoor workers (N=25, F=17) from the same regions of northern Finland during the autumn, winter, and late spring/early summer in 2024/2025. Participants took part in a mild cooling protocol following a resting metabolic rate measurement, during which time metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimetry and BAT heat production was inferred using far infrared imaging of supraclavicular region (BAT positive) and sternum (BAT negative). We hypothesized that occupation style would have a significant impact on BAT activity due to differences in frequency and duration of exposure to cold. Surprisingly, we found no significant difference in BAT associated increases in metabolic rate between the two occupations across seasons (F=2.302, p=0.113). However, despite no difference in metabolic rate, reindeer herders maintained significantly higher supraclavicular temperatures than their indoor working counterparts (F=13.388, p<0.001). These results suggest that greater exposure through occupational demands potentially lead to more efficient BAT activity, with more substantial heat production among reindeer herders relative to indoor workers not incurring a substantially higher metabolic cost.

Sleep duration and quality often decline with age due to a combination of biological, environmental, and behavioral changes. In this study, we characterized sleep patterns across the life course among the Tsimane, a subsistence-foraging population in Bolivia. We hypothesized that sleep duration and efficiency would decrease with age because of age-related biological changes and shifts in daily activity, such as reduced physical activity. We analyzed 18,706 nights of actigraphy data from 4,170 participants (mean age = 65 years; range = 6–95 years; 50.4% female). Each participant contributed an average of 4.9 nights of sleep recorded with GT3X accelerometers. Sleep quantity and quality were assessed using sleep duration and efficiency. Across all nights, the mean sleep duration was 5.78 hours, and the mean sleep efficiency was 79%. Men slept for a shorter duration (β = -0.50, p < 0.001) and had lower sleep efficiency (β = -1.81, p < 0.001) than women. Both sleep duration (β = -0.02, p < 0.001) and efficiency (β = -0.04, p < 0.001) declined with age until approximately 30 years. However, participants aged 6–20 years slept longer (β = 1.02, p < 0.001) and had more sleep efficiency (β = 2.19, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the Tsimane have shorter and inefficient sleep, in comparison to industrialized populations. The changes in sleep quantity and quality with age reflect the biological demands for sleep in both non-industrialized and industrialized environments.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported night sweats (NS) and hot flashes (HF) were associated with sleep problems or daytime fatigue. We hypothesized that NS and HF differentially increase the likelihood of sleep problems, assessed by “trouble sleeping” from a symptom checklist and the Sleep Problems Scale (SPS), and the degree of fatigue, assessed by “lack of energy” from a symptom checklist and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Data were drawn from a study of midlife women aged 40 to 60 in Doha, Qatar (n=840). Participants were categorized as having (1) neither HF nor NS, (2) only HF, (3) only NS, or (4) both HF and NS. Chi-square and ANOVA were used for bivariate analyses followed by logistic and linear regression analyses. Women with both HF and NS scored significantly higher on the SPS compared with women with neither HF nor NS (16.3, s.d., 5.9 vs. 12.6, s.d. 5.2, p<0.001). In contrast, mean ESS did not differ by HF/NS category. Among women reporting trouble sleeping, the odds of having only NS were almost two times higher (adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.17-2.30), while the odds of reporting lack of energy were 2.72 times higher (adjusted OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.54-4.81), than women with neither HF nor NS, after controlling for menopausal status, depressed mood, education, nationality, and smoking. Women with only HF did not significantly differ from women with neither HF nor NS, suggesting that NS are more disruptive to women’s sleep and fatigue than HF.

Previous research links nutritional stress during sensitive childhood periods to shorter adult leg length, while evidence for similar effects on trunk length is weaker. Advances in epigenetics allow biological aging to be measured through “epigenetic clocks.” Using follow-up data from 2022–2023 in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (est. 1983–1984), we derived leg and trunk length from knee height. Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE clocks, along with DNAm-estimated telomere length (DNAmTL), were previously obtained through whole-blood DNA methylation (Illumina EPIC v1 array). Models were sex-stratified; multiple testing was controlled using the Benjamini–Hochberg FDR. In females, longer legs were associated with lower (slower) age estimates from Horvath, Hannum, and PhenoAge (p<0.05). Associations with GrimAge and DunedinPACE trended negative but were not statistically significant. Female trunk length was inversely related to Hannum, PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE (p<0.05) and showed negative, non-significant associations with Horvath and GrimAge. In females, both leg and trunk length positively correlated with DNAmTL (p<0.02). In males, the associations were weaker: trunk length was not related to any of the clocks, and leg length showed inverse associations with GrimAge and DNAmTL (p<0.05). Linear body measurements, especially leg length, predict multiple epigenetic aging markers, supporting the idea that early-life nutrition leaves lasting molecular signatures. Contrary to previous research that emphasized only leg length, female trunk length also tracked slower epigenetic aging. Sex differences suggest varying sensitivity or life-course exposures. Morphometric markers might help identify populations at risk of accelerated biological aging, guiding early-life interventions.

Obesity has become a major focus of public and global health initiatives largely due to increases in its prevalence as well as comorbidities commonly associated with high BMI, including inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. An emerging body of evidence has also revealed a link between adiposity and accelerated biological aging, but the role of weight-based discrimination in this relationship is unknown. We hypothesized that weight-based discrimination would be associated with accelerated biological aging, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, independent of body composition. Data are from the large, omnibus Person to Person Health Interview Study and DNA methylation (DNAm) data from a stratified household probability sample in Indiana. Outcome variables include DNAm-based estimates of biological aging (DunedinPACE, GrimAge), C-reactive protein (CRP), and glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c). Survey-weighted regressions tested whether weight-based discrimination predicted outcomes adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and body composition factors. When controlling for BMI, weight-based discrimination was associated with greater DunedinPACE (B=0.060, p<0.0001) and marginally associated with higher GrimAge (B=0.529, p=0.057) and CRP (B=0.086, p=0.056). When controlling for waist circumference, weight-based discrimination was associated with greater DunedinPACE (B=0.047, p=0.001) and marginally associated with GrimAge (B=0.551, p=0.061). These relationships are stronger and more robust when restricting the sample to BMI ≥25, with significant associations observed for accelerated aging (DunedinPACE B=0.074, p<0.0001; GrimAge B=0.755, p=0.007), higher CRP (B=0.126, p=0.018), and higher A1c (B=0.013, p=0.003). Given that weight-based discrimination predicts accelerated aging, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, stigma and related social responses to obesity may contribute to physiological dysregulation and deterioration independent of adiposity.