Prize Scholar: Alexandra Morton-Hayward

I am a DPhil student in Molecular Taphonomy (the study of decomposition), and a certified Forensic Anthropologist. I’m fascinated by how organic remains decay and preserve in different environments, and I use ancient biomolecules - extracted from archaeological and experimentally-decayed tissues - to better understand the chemical mechanisms underpinning post-mortem processes.

I am especially interested in the brain: a rich and diverse source of ancient biomolecules, but historically regarded as a ‘one-of-a-kind’ preservation phenomenon. I set out to dispel this myth, uncovering reports of >4,400 human brains up to 12,000 years old, and amassing the world’s largest collection here at Oxford. My research on this archive will provide new and unique insights not only into taphonomic processes, but into our history: helping us to better understand ancient health and disease, and the evolution of human cognition and behaviour.

I am so grateful to Merton for the College’s generous support, and couldn’t be prouder to be part of its long history!