Rebecca MacDonald

Research Personnel; Michael Richards
Archaeology

Areas of interest

Stable Isotopes, Paleodiet, Paleoclimate

Education

  • BSc Hons (2003), Geology with Environmental Science, The University of Western Ontario
  • PhD, Geology (2012), The University of Western Ontario
  • Post Doctoral Research Fellow (2014 to 2016), Anthropology, The University of British Columbia

Biography

I completed my PhD in Geology at The University of Western Ontario, where I studied the Late Pleistocene and Holocene climate and paleohydrology of the Great Lakes Basin using the stable isotope compositions of porewaters and microfossils contained within sediment cores.

I started as a postdoctoral fellow in the Archaeology Isotope Laboratory in April 2020 and oversaw the final installation and setup of the analytical instruments.  I oversee the day-to-day operation of the analytical instruments, as well as their routine maintenance and necessary repairs.  I am interested in novel analytical techniques, including compound specific amino acid analysis, and I thoroughly enjoy helping students with their very interesting bone samples.