HEALTH AND BIOBEHAVIOR LABORATORY
exploring stress, resilience, & bio-behavioral adaptation to novel, harsh, and unpredictable environments
Current Lab Members
Assistant Professor & Director
Mallika completed a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Michigan, a M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Human Biology from the University of Notre Dame, and postdoctoral training at the Human Spaceflight Lab at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her work examines bio-behavioral response to extreme environments with a focus on neuroendocrine systems, metabolic/energetic physiology, environmental signals, and social dynamics. She has worked in field sites including the Himalayas, the Central Congo Basin, and the American Rocky Mountains.
Sam "Finn" Warrick, MS
Lab Manager/Research Coordinator
Finn has a BA in Anthropology and Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Epidemiology and Human Genetics. They are interested in linking molecular biology and anthropology to draw a larger picture of the human experience, inside and out. Finn has studied facets of biology from the micron scale to the population level, and they are excited to return to their undergraduate department as a staff member!
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Armaan Rajwany
C'2026
Wagiha Mariam
C'2026
Daphne Hicyilmaz
C'2027
LAB ALUMNI
Clare Super, PhD
Clare received her PhD in biological anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024. She is interested in biocultural analysis of the physical embodiment of stress and climate change in the metabolisms, microbiomes, and bodies of disaster relief workers. Her past experience includes ancient DNA analysis, mitochondrial DNA haplotype research, and archaeological work.
Lab Culture Statement
As stress researchers, we know that stress can both push us forward and hold us back. We aim to make the lab as far from our extreme study environments as possible - calm, accessible, adaptable, and controllable - so we can focus our stress into our project work, not our day-to-day living. Stress response is an amazing capability of the human body, and we celebrate the positive outcomes of greater focus, energetic intention, and sharpened intellect on our research while trying to limit unnecessary stress as we navigate the complicated environments of the modern world. We believe in thoughtful collaboration, dialogue with our populations of interest, and taking the time necessary to set our projects up for success in the field.