Upon completeling her BA in Anthropology at SIUE, Christine Boston pursued and completed a Master of Arts degree in Bioarchaeology at the University of Western Ontario. Her thesis focused on the growth and development and paleopathological effects of arsenic on ancient northern Chilean populations.

Ms. Boston continued her graduate studies at the University of Western Ontario in the fall of 2007, pursuing a PhD in Bioarchaeological Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Nelson. Her PhD research focuses on two different aspects of artificial cranial modification: 1) the social purpose of the practice amongst northern Chilean groups both geographically and temporally, and D) the biological effects of the practice and their relationship to infant and juvenile mortality.

Ms. Boston has collaborated in research with several professionals in the fields of both archaeology and physical anthropology, including Dr. Bernardo Arriaza, Dr. Marvin Allison, and Dr. Jean-Francois Millaire. She has completed field work in Chile and Peru and pursues side projects in Canada and the US. She has presented at several
conferences and has been published in Peer-reviewed journals, Encyclopedia editions, and conference proceedings.

Ms. Boston is currently a PhD Candidate and conducting field work at the Museo Arqueologico de San Miguel de Azapa in northern Chile.  She hopes to be completed with her PhD by the summer of 2011.  Those interested in her work or have questions about graduate school and her experiences can email her at cboston2@uwo.ca