people

Amy Boddy

Amy Boddy
Anthropology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Assistant Professor

Amy M. Boddy is a human biologist and evolutionary theorist in the Department of Anthropology. Her work uses applications from evolution and ecology to understand human health and disease. She uses a combination of genomics, computational biology and evolutionary theory to understand life history trade-offs between survival and reproduction across different levels of biological organization. One component of her research program examines how environmental cues, such as high extrinsic mortality, may guide resource allocations to cancer defenses and reproduction. Current cancer research topics include comparative oncology, intragenomic conflict, cellular life history trade-offs, and early life adversity and cancer outcomes later in life. In addition to her cancer research, she studies maternal/fetal conflict theory and the consequences of fetal microchimeric cells in maternal health and disease. 

Grant, Awards and Distinctions:

NIH U54: ACE Pilot Funding. Prevalence of reproductive cancers in nonhuman primates. Boddy is Co-PI. $7,350 total direct. 2021-2022.

NIH U54: ACE Pilot Funding. Molecular evolution of immunity, reproduction and cancer genes in crocodilians. Boddy is Co-PI. $13,500 total direct. 2021-2022.

NIH U54: ACE Pilot Funding. Oncogenic mutational signatures in cancer-like phenotypes in Acropora. Boddy is Co-I. $14,680 total direct. 2021-2022

NIH U54: ACE Pilot Funding. Of pan-species histology and macroecology: chasing a solution to Peto’s paradox across mammals. Boddy is Co-I. $12,000 total direct. 2021-2022.

John Templeton Foundation: We All Are Multitudes: the Microchimerism, Human Health and Evolution Project. $4,643,000 total direct. Boddy is Co-PI. 2021-2023

National Cancer Institute. $7,500,000 total direct. Co-Leader Project 1.2018-2023.

National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (U54). Arizona Cancer Evolution Center. Applying models of evolution to cancer across scales, from species down to cells. $7,500,000 total direct. Boddy is Co-Leader Project 1. $263,024 total directs to UCSB. 2018-2023.

University of California Santa Barbara, Academic Senate Grant. The functional role of fetal microchimerism in maternal health. $11,513, PI.

National Science Foundation. Pregnancy-induced inflammation and obstacles to breastfeeding success in an industrialized environment. $30,934, Co-PI with student Carmen Hové. 2019-2021.

Administrative Supplement. Characterization of Elephant Tumor Evolution. $38,180 total direct. Co-PI. 2019-2020.

ACE Pilot Funding. Phenotypic and Genomic Responses to DNA Damage in Crocodilians. Co-PI. $8,000. 2019-2020.

ACE Pilot Funding. Somatic Mutations in Tumors from Wild African Elephants. Co-PI. $25,155 2019-2020.

 

boddy@anth.ucsb.edu
http://www.amyboddy.com
Biodemography and Evolution
Education and Health
Population Health and Environment

Publications

Sengupta, J, Kroneis T, Boddy AM, Roy R, Sarkar A, Sarkar D, Ghosh D, Huppertz B. 2024.
"Sperm intrusion into the implantation-stage blastocyst and its potential biological significance."
EMPH. 2024. 12(1), 1-6
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Kapsetaki SE, Compton ZT, Mellon W, Vincze O, Giraudeau MT, Harrison TM, Abegglen LM, Boddy AM, Maley CC, Schiffman JD. 2024.
"Germline mutation rate predicts cancer mortality across 37 vertebrate species. "
EMPH. 2024. eoae016
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Giraudea M, Aktipis A, Conde DA, Baines C, Boddy AM, Bramwell G, Colchero F, Degregori J, Dujon A, Gentes S, Hamede R, Harris V, Lair S, Le Loc’h G, Lemaitre JF, Lemberger K, Lerebours A, Maley CC, Malkocs T, Padilla Morales B, Panabieres C, Pavard S, Roche B, Sayag D, Sepp T, Thomas F, Ujvari B, Urrutia A, Vincze O, Chevallier D. 2024.
"Methods to study wildlife cancer."
Journal of Animal Ecology.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Compton Z, Harris V, Mellon W, Rupp S, Kapsetaki SE, Wilmot M, Kennington R, Noble K, Baciu C, Ramirez L, Peraza A, Martins B, Sushil S, Aksoy S, Furukawa, Vincze O, Giraudeau M, Duke EG, Spiro S, Flach E, Davidson H, Zehnder A, Graham TA, Troan B, Harrison TM*, Tollis M*, Schiffman JD*, Aktipis A*, Abegglen LM*, Maley CC*, Boddy AM* 2024.
"Cancer prevalence across vertebrates."
Cancer Discovery. 2024. *Co-senior authors
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Kapsetaki SE, Compton ZT, Dolan J, Harris VK, Mellon W, Rupp SM, Duke EG, Harrison TM, Aksoy S, Giraudeau M, Vincze O, McGraw KJ, Aktipis A, Tollis M, Boddy AM*, Maley CC*. 2024.
"Life history traits and cancer prevalence in birds."
12(1), 105-116. *Co-senior authors
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Seyedi S, Harris VK, Kapsetaki SE, Saha D, Compton Z, Yousefi R, May A, Fakir E, Boddy AM, Gerlinger M, Wu C, Mina L, Huijben S, Gouge DH, Cisneros L, Ellsworth PC, Maley CC. 2024.
"Resistance management for cancer: Lessons from farmers."
Cancer Research 2024.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
AbdulJabbar K, Castillo SP, Hughes K, Davidson H, Boddy AM, Abegglen LM, Murchison EP, Graham TA, Spiro S, Palmieri C, Yuan Y. 2023. 
"Bridging clinic and wildlife care with AI-powered pan-species computational pathology. "
Nature Communications. 14.1: 2408.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Kapsetaki SE, Fortunato A, Compton Z, Rupp SM, Nour Z, Riggs-Davis S, Stephenson D, Duke EG, Boddy AM, Harrison T M, Maley CC, Aktipis A. 2023.
"Is chimerism associated with cancer across the tree of life? "
PloS one 18.6(e0287901.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Education and Health, Population Health and Environment
Boddy AM. 2022. 
"The need for evolutionary theory in cancer research. "
European Journal of Epidemiology. 1-6.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Education and Health, Population Health and Environment
Boddy AM, Rupp S, Yu Z, Hanson H, Aktipis A, Smith K. 2022. In press. 
"Early life adversity, reproductive history, and breast cancer risk. "
Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Abegglen LM, Harrison TM, Moresco A, Fowles JS, Troan BV, Kiso WK, Schmitt D, Boddy AM, Schiffman JD. 2022. In press. 
"Of elephants and other mammals: A comparative review of reproductive tumors and potential impact on conservation. "
Animals. 2022 In Press.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Dujon AM, Boutry J, Tissot S, Lemaitre JF, Boddy AM, Gerard A, Alvergne A, Arnal A, Vincze O, Nicolas D, Giraudeau M, Telonis-Scott M, Schultz A, Pujol P, Biro P, Beckmann C, Hamede R, Roche B, Ujvari B, Thomas F. 2022. 
"Cancer susceptibility as a cost of reproduction and contributor to life history evolution. "
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10 (2022): 861103.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Natterson-Horowitz B, Boddy AM, Zimmerman, D. 2022. 
"Female Health Across the Tree of Life: Insights at the Intersection of Women's Health, One Health and Planetary Health. "
PNAS nexus 1.2 (2022): pgac044.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Vincze O, Colchero F, Lemaitre JF, Conde D, Pavard S, Bieuville M, Urrutia AO, Ujvari B, Boddy AM, Maley CC, Thomas F, Giraudeau M. 2022. 
"Cancer risk across mammals. Nature."
601.7892 263-267
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Tollis M, Ferris E, Campbell M, Harris V, Rupp S, Harrison T, Kiso WK, Schmitt D, Aktipis A, Maley C, Boddy AM, Yandell M, Sciffman JD, Abegglen LM. 2021.
"Elephant genome reveal accelerated evolution in mechanisms underlying disease defenses. "
Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38.9 3606-3620.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Ujvari B, Dujon A, Aktipis A, Alix-Panabières C, Amend S, Boddy AM, Brown J, Capp JP, DeGregori J, Ewald P, Gatenby R, Gerlinger M, Giraudeau M, Hamede R, Hansen E, Kareva I, Maley CC, Marusyk A, McGranahan N, Metzger M, Nedelcu A, Noble R, Nunney L, Pienta K, Polyak K, Pujol P, Read A, Roche B, Sebens S, Solary E, Stanková K, Thomas F, Ewald HS. 2021. 
"Identifying key questions in the ecology and evolution of cancer. "
Evolutionary applications 14.4: 877-892.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Gunst A, Sudén M, Korja R, Boddy AM, Kotler J, Paavonen EJ, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Antfolk J. 2021. 
"Postpartum depression and mother-offspring conflict over maternal investment. "
Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. 9.1: 11-23.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Marques C, Compton Z, Boddy AM. 2021. 
"Connecting paleopathology and evolutionary medicine to cancer research: past and present. "
Evolving Health: Paleopathology and Evolutionary Medicine, Oxford University Press. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Gunst A, Sudén M, Korja R, Boddy AM, Kotler J, Paavonen EJ, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Antfolk J. 2021.
"Postpartum depression and mother-offspring conflict over maternal investment. "
Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. 9.1 11-23. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Ujvari B, Dujon A, Aktipis A, Alix-Panabières C, Amend S, Boddy AM, Brown J, Capp JP, DeGregori J, Ewald P, Gatenby R, Gerlinger M, Giraudeau M, Hamede R, Hansen E, Kareva I, Maley CC, Marusyk A, McGranahan N, Metzger M, Nedelcu A, Noble R, Nunney L, Pienta K, Polyak K, Pujol P, Read A, Roche B, Sebens S, Solary E, Stanková K, Thomas F, Ewald HS. 2021. 
"Identifying key questions in the ecology and evolution of cancer. "
Evolutionary applications 14.4 877-892. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Tollis M, Ferris E, Campbell M, Harris V, Rupp S, Harrison T, Kiso WK, Schmitt D, Aktipis A, Maley C, Boddy AM, Yandell M, Sciffman JD, Abegglen LM. 2021. 
"Elephant genome reveals insights into differences in disease susceptibility between species. "
Molecular Biology and Evolution 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution, Population Health and Environment
Boddy AM, Abegglen LM, Schiffman JD, Maley CC, Witte C. 2020. 
"Does placental invasiveness lead to higher rates of malignant transformation in mammals? "
Evolution, Medicine and Public Health 215-216.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Campenni M, May AN, Boddy AM, Harris V, Nedelcu AM. 2020. 
"Agent‐based modelling reveals strategies to reduce the fitness and metastatic potential of circulating tumour cell clusters. "
Evolutionary Applications. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Boddy AM, Harrison T, Abegglen LM. 2020.
"Comparative Oncology: New Insights into an ancient disease. "
iScience 101373. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Somarelli JA, Boddy AM, Gardner H, Bartholf DeWitt S, Tuyohy J, Megquier K, Sheth MU, Hsu D, Thorne JL, Eward WC. 2020. 
"Improving cancer drug discovery by studying cancer across the tree of life. "
Molecular Biology and Evolution 37.1: 11-17. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Boddy AM, Abegglen LM, Pessier AP, Schiffman JD, Maley C, Witte C. 2020. 
"Lifetime cancer prevalence and life history traits in mammals. "
Evolution, Medicine and Public Health 187-195.
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution
Somarelli JA, Gardner H, Cannataro VL, Gunady EF, Boddy AM, Johnson NA, Fisk JN, Gaffney SG, Chuang JH, Li S, Ciccarelli FD. 2020. 
"Molecular biology and evolution of cancer: from discovery to action. "
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 37(2), 320-326. 
Research Themes:
Biodemography and Evolution