The Paleo-oncology Research Organization (PRO) was officially founded on April 11, 2013, at the annual meeting for the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, after a discussion of the need for a more comprehensive study of cancer in antiquity. Shortly after, the Ancient Cancer Foundation (ACF) was founded to raise funds for PRO and raise public awareness of paleo-oncological studies. Both PRO and ACF are sustained solely through volunteer efforts and the generosity of donors. This dedicated team of volunteers is featured below.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Roselyn in the Vitor Valley, Peru.
Roselyn Campbell, MA, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of California Riverside
MA in Anthropology from University of Montana, PhD in Archaeology from the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Executive Director , PRO/ACF Co-Founder, Bioarchaeologist/Archaeologist/Egyptologist
Roselyn earned a PhD in Archaeology from the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. She holds an MA in Anthropology from the University of Montana and a Certificate in Egyptology from the University of Manchester. Roselyn has worked as a Research Associate at the Getty Research Institute and on archaeological excavations in Peru, Spain, Ethiopia, the American West, and in Egypt at sites such as the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, and Karanis. She also has experience with forensic excavation and analysis and archaeological photography. Roselyn currently teaches at the University of California Riverside as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology. Besides paleo-oncology, Roselyn's research interests include anthropological archaeology, ancient Egyptian funerary customs, and evidence for violence and trauma in ancient human skeletons.
Casey at the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt.
Casey Kirkpatrick, MA, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
MA in Ancient Egyptian Culture from Swansea University, PhD in Bioarchaeology and Archaeology from the University of Western Ontario
Website Manager, PRO/ACF Co-Founder, Bioarchaeologist/(Molecular)Paleopathologist/Dental Anthropologist
Casey Kirkpatrick has earned an Honors Specialization Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a Minor in Biology, a Masters in Ancient Egyptian Culture from Swansea University, and a PhD in Bioarchaeology and Archaeology from the University of Western Ontario. She is now investigating the origins and evolution of infectious diseases through the analysis of ancient pathogen DNA at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. She has extensive experience working and conducting research in museum, laboratory and archaeological field settings in Canada, Jordan, Egypt, England and Wales. She is also the Head of Osteology at an early Roman Period cemetery site in Egypt, excavated by the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. As a former dental assistant, Casey maintains a special interest in dental anthropology in addition to her passion for paleopathology. She is particularly interested in the history of diseases, how they have affected the human experience, and the potential for paleopathology to contribute to evolutionary medicine. Casey served as PRO / ACF Executive Director from 2016 to 2021.
Kathryn in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt.
Kathryn Hunt, MSc
Senior Archeologist/Bioarchaeologist, 106 Group
MSc in Palaeopatholgy from Durham University
Creative Director, PRO/ACF Co-Founder, Bioarchaeologist/Osteologist, TED Fellow
Kathryn is an archaeologist, physical anthropologist, and cancer survivor. She received a BA in Anthropology and Classical Studies at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Washington state, and earned a MSc in Palaeopathology from Durham University in England. Her current research lies in the global history of human health, the bio-cultural factors leading to the evolution and development of disease, and specifically the study of cancer and other neoplastic diseases in ancient societies. Kathryn is currently a full-time Archaeologist/Bioarchaeologist for 106 Group in Minnesota. She has also held positions as the human osteologist for the Jezreel Valley Research Project in Israel and as an assistant director of the Jucu de Sus Necropolis excavation and field school run by Transylvania Bioarchaeology. Hunt has received several international honors, including being named a TED Fellow, one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People, and one of Foreign Policy's 100 Leading Global Thinkers. She has also participated in archaeological excavations for Penn State's Mendes Expedition and the PLU Valley of the Kings Expedition in Egypt. Kathryn served as PRO / ACF Executive Director from 2013 to 2016.
Khrystyne excavating in Romania.
Khrystyne Tschinkel, MSc
MSc in Paleopathology from Durham University, PhD Candidate in Biological Anthropology at Tulane University
Social Media Coordinator, Bioarchaeologist/Archaeologist
Khrystyne is an archaeologist and biological anthropologist. She earned her BA in anthropology from The State University of New York at Oswego and her MSc in paleopathology from Durham University in England. Currently she is a second year doctoral student at Tulane University. She works in Huanchaco, Peru at a Chimu mass child sacrifice site as well as the La Iglesia Colonial Cemetery where she is currently assessing temporal health relationships and cultural patterns using the biocultural approach. Her previous research interests are in historical evidence of metabolic health, adult vitamin D deficiency in post-medieval England, migration patterns, paleopathology as it relates to clinical studies, and Caribbean mortuary practices. Previous employment includes being a Lab Manager and Technician for the SUNY Oswego repatriation project (a National Parks and NAGPRA funded project), a Field Tech II for Hartgen Archeological Associates, and Student Coordinator for Transylvania Bioarchaeology.
TEAM ALUMNI
Jennifer at the Giza Plateau, Egypt.
Jennifer Willoughby, MA, MSc
MA in Ancient Egyptian Culture from Swansea University, MSc in Skeletal and Dental Bioarchaeology from University College London, PhD candidate at Western University
Former Director of Communications, PRO/ACF Co-Founder, Bioarchaeologist/Archaeologist/Egyptologist, Photographer
Jennifer is a PhD Candidate in Bioarchaeology and Archaeology at Western University. She was awarded the Ontario Trillium Scholarship to conduct her research, using CT scans in Western’s IMPACT database to examine mummies for evidence of neoplastic disease. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Texas at Austin, gaining degrees in archaeology and photojournalism. She earned an MA in Ancient Egyptian Culture from Swansea University and an MSc in Skeletal and Dental Bioarchaeology from University College London. Between these degrees, she gained Egyptological experience working for the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. Jennifer has participated in multiple archaeological expeditions in Egypt and currently holds a position as a laboratory supervisor at the Astypalaia Bioanthropology Field School in Greece. In addition to paleo-oncology, her research interests include paleopathology, juvenile osteology, and the material culture of ancient Egyptian religion.
Jennifer at the Giza Plateau.
Alyson Caine, MSc
MSc in Palaeopathology from Durham University, PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Humanities at University of California, Merced
Former Social Media Coordinator, Bioarchaeologist/Archaeologist
Alyson is a PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Humanities at University of California, Merced. She earned a BA in Anthropology, minoring in Sociology at Temple University, and a MSc in Palaeopathology from Durham University in England. She has two years experience working as an Osteologist for Cogstone Resource Management, Inc. in Southern California. Alyson is a bioarchaeologist and archaeologist with six years of experience excavating and conducting research in the Arabian Peninsula. Her primary research interests lie in paleopathology and the relationship between health and migration, paleo-oncology, and the history of health in the Middle East.
Alyson working in Oman.