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.

Cecilia Speroni is a senior researcher and deputy director of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research at Mathematica Policy Research. Her research focuses on teacher effectiveness, teacher performance pay, and interventions to increase college access and success for disadvantaged students. She has extensive experience designing and conducting large-scale impact evaluations in K-12 and higher education, including those relevant to STEM, using state and national administrative data sets. Dr. Speroni is well-versed in analytical methods and data development. For the National Science Foundation (NSF), she is currently serving as the deputy director in the design of an evaluation framework and pilot data system that would enhance the foundations’ ability to monitor the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and to conduct evaluations with increasing levels of rigor in the future. Dr. Speroni recently evaluated the impact of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Summer Medical and Dental Education Program designed to increase minority representation in health-related STEM professions. She has also played a key role in the Institute of Education Sciences’ national randomized evaluation of performance-pay for teachers and principals. For this study, she measured the impact of performance bonuses on self-reported outcomes such as educators’ job satisfaction and time spent in school activities, and assessed the cost-effectiveness of performance-pay relative to other policy interventions. Dr. Speroni is a certified reviewer for the Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse to assess the quality of experimental, quasi-experimental, and regression discontinuity designs.