CV
EMPLOYMENT
Marie Skłodowska–Curie Postdoctoral Fellow
Naturalis Biodiversity Center • Vertebrate Evolution Development and Ecology • University of Leiden, NL • 2023-2025
Title: Comparative reconstruction of ape and hominin locomotor ontogeny (CRAHL)
Funding: Marie Skłodowska–Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
Associate Lecturer in Biological Anthropology
Dept. of Archaeology • University of Cambridge, UK • 2022-2023
Postdoctoral Researcher
McDonald Institute • Dept. of Archaeology • University of Cambridge, UK • 2018-2021
Title: The effects of mobility and physical activity on human postcranial skeletal variation
Funding: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grant to Professor Jay Stock
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Trinity Hall • Cambridge, UK • 2018-2021
Co-chair - Cambridge Biotomography Centre
Cambridge Biotomography Centre • Dept. of Zoology • University of Cambridge, UK • 2018-2021
Micro CT scanning technician
Cambridge Biotomography Centre • Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK • 2014-2017
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Biological Anthropology
University of Cambridge • Cambridge, UK • 2013-2017
Thesis title: Ontogeny and functional adaptation of trabecular bone in the human foot
● Supervisor: Professor Jay T. Stock
● Funded by Research Council UK grant number 1503975
M.Sc. Human Osteology and Palaeolithic Archaeology
Leiden University, NL • 2012
● Dissertation: Sexual division of labour in rural 17th to 19th century Holland: A study of limb bone cross-sectional geometry.
BA Archaeology and minor in Physical Anthropology
Leiden University, NL • 2011
● Focus on Archaeological Science including archaeometry, zoology, ecology, human evolution, and European prehistory.
Secondary School: Atheneum (A-level equivalent)
Christelijk Lyceum Delft, NL • 2007
Dutch, English, Maths, Physics, Biology, Computer Science, Chemistry
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
● Saers, J.P.P. (2023). Skeletal indicators of developmental changes in arboreality and locomotor maturation in extant apes, and their relevance to hominin paleobiology. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, vol 11, 10.3389/fevo.2023.1274762
● Sorrentino, R., Carlson, K.J., Orr, C.M., Pietrobelli, A., Figus, C., Li, S., Conconi, M., Sancisi, N., Jashashvili, T., Saers, J.P.P., Fiorenza, L., Novak, M., Stock, J.T., Williams, S.A., Myerson, M., Belvedere, C., Leardini, A., Prang, T.C., Patel, B.A., DeSilva, J., Marchi, D., Belcastro, M.G., Benazzi, S. (2023). Morphological and evolutionary insights into the keystone element of the hominin medial longitudinal arch of the foot. Communications Biology. 6, 1061.
● Saers, J.P.P., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, T.M., Stock, J.T. (2022). Trabecular bone ontogeny tracks neural development and life history among humans and non-human primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of sciences., 119, (49), e2208772119.
● Nishimura, T., Tokuda, I., Miyachi, S., Dunn, J.C., Ishimura, K., Kaneko, A., Kinoshita, Y., Koda, H., Saers, J.P.P., Imai, H., Matsuda, T., Larsen, O., Jürgens, U., Hirabayashi, H., Kojima, S., Fitch, T. (2022). Evolutionary loss of complexity in the human vocal anatomy as an adaptation for human speech. Science. 377, (6607), 760-763.
● Saers, J.P.P., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, T.M., Stock, J.T. (2022) Growth and development of trabecular structure in the calcaneus of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) reflects locomotor behavior, life-history, and neuromuscular development. Journal of Anatomy. DOI: 10.1111/(ISSN)1469-7580
● Sorrentino, R., Carlson, K., Figus, C., Pietrobelli, A., Stephens, N., DeMars, L., Saers, J.P.P., Armando, J., Bettuzzi, M., Guarnieri, T., Oxilia, G., Vazzana, A., Parr, W., Turley, K., Morigi, M., Stock, J., Ryan, T., Benazzi, S., Marchi, D., Belcastro, M. (2022) The talar morphology of a hypochondroplasic dwarf: A case study from the Italian Late Antique period. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. doi.org/10.1002/oa.3078
● Sorrentino, R., Stephens, N., Marchi, D., DeMars, L., Figus, C., Bortolini, E., Badino, F., Saers, J.P.P., Bettuzzi, M., Boschin, F., Capechi, G., Feletti, F., Guarnieri, T., May, H., Morigi, M., Parr, W., Ricci, S., Ronchitelli, A, Stock, J., Carlson, K., Ryan, T., Belcastro, M., Benazzi, S. (2021) Unique foot posture in Neanderthals reflects their body mass and high mechanical stress. Journal of Human Evolution, 161, 103093.
● Saers, J.P.P., DeMars, L.J., Stephens, N.B., Jashashvili, T., Carlson, K.J., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, T.M., Stock J.T. (2021) Combinations of trabecular and cortical bone properties distinguish various loading modalities between athletes and controls. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 174, (3), 434-450.
● Saers, J.P.P., DeMars, L.J., Stephens, N.B., Jashashvili, T., Carlson, K.J., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, T.M., Stock J.T. (2021) An automated resolution independent method for comparing in vivo and dry trabecular bone. American Journal of Physical Anthropology.174, (4), 822-831.
● DeMars, L.J., Stephens, N.B., Saers, J.P.P., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, T.M., Stock J.T. (2020) Using point clouds to investigate the relationship between trabecular bone phenotype and behavior: An example utilizing the human calcaneus. Journal of Human Biology. 33, 2, 1-16.
● Mulder, B., Stock, J.T., Saers, J.P.P., Inskip, S.A., Cessford, C., Robb, J.E. (2020) Intrapopulation variation in lower limb trabecular architecture. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 173, (1), 112-129.
● Sorrentino, R., Stephens, N.B., Carlson, K.J., Figus, C., Fiorenza, L., Frost, S, Harcourt-Smith, W., Parr, W., Saers, J.P.P., Turley, K, Wroe, S., Giovanna Belcastro, M., Ryan, T.M., Benazzi, S. (2020) The influence of mobility strategy in modern human tali. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 171, 3, 456-469.
● Saers, J.P.P., Ryan, T.M. & Stock, J.T. (2020) Baby steps: linking calcaneal trabecular bone ontogeny and the development of bipedal human gait. Journal of Anatomy. 236, 3, 474-492.
● Saers, J.P.P., Ryan, T.M. & Stock, J.T. (2019) Trabecular bone structure scales allometrically in the foot of four human groups. Journal of Human Evolution. 135, 102654.
● Doershuk, L.J., Saers, J.P.P., Shaw, C.N., Jashashvili, T., Carlson, K.J., Stock, J.T., Ryan, T.M. (2019) Complex variation of trabecular bone structure in the proximal humerus and femur of five modern human populations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 168, (1), 104-118.
● Saers, J.P.P., Ryan, T.M. & Stock, J.T. (2019) Trabecular bone functional adaptation and sexual dimorphism in the human foot. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 168, (1), 154-169.
● Saers, J.P.P., Hoogland, M.L.P., van Rijn, R.R., Schats, R., van der Merwe, L. Waters-Rist, A., (2017) Habitual activity in pre-industrial rural and urban Dutch populations: a study of lower limb cross-sectional geometry. Bioarchaeology International. 1, (3), 131-147.
● Saers, J.P.P., Cazorla-Bak, Y., Shaw, C.N., Stock, J.T. & Ryan, T.M. (2016) Trabecular bone structural variation throughout the human lower limb. Journal of Human Evolution. 97, 97–108.
Book chapters
● Power, R.K., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Thompson, J.E., Carruthers, J., Massingham, S., Buck, L.T., Saers, J.P.P., Pardey, M., Stock, J.T., & Magnussen, J.S. (2022). “Dental Pathology in the Circle: Oral Health, Activity and Intervention in Neolithic Malta”; in Stoddart, S., Power, R.K., Thompson, J.E., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Parkinson, E.W., Pace, A., & C. Malone (eds) Temple People: Bioarchaeology, Resilience and Culture in Prehistoric Malta. Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research: 63-126; https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.91928.
● Power, R.K., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Thompson, J.E., Carruthers, J., Buck, L.T., Saers, J.P.P., Pardey, M., Stock, J.T., & Magnussen, J.S. (2022). “Dental Modification in the Circle: Shaping Bodies, Shaping Culture in Neolithic Malta”; in Stoddart, S., Power, R.K., Thompson, J.E., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Parkinson, E.W., Pace, A., & C. Malone (eds) Temple People: Bioarchaeology, Resilience and Culture in Prehistoric Malta. Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research: 127-172; https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.91929.
● Power, R.K., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Thompson, J.E., Carruthers, J., Vogel, H., Buck, L.T., Saers, J.P.P., Pardey, M., Stock, J.T., & Magnussen, J.S. (2022). “General Pathology in the Circle: Biocultural Insights into Population Health, Trauma and Care in Neolithic Malta”; in Stoddart, S., Power, R.K., Thompson, J.E., Mercieca-Spiteri, B., McLaughlin, T.R., Parkinson, E.W., Pace, A., & C. Malone (eds) Temple People: Bioarchaeology, Resilience and Culture in Prehistoric Malta. Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research: 195-286; https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.91932.
Research tools - Open access code
Phenotypic pointcloud analysis
Python code to run the Pointcloud analysis published in DeMars et al. 2020. Code is continuously updated with quality-of-life improvements and new features.
● DeMars, L.J., Stephens, N.B., Saers, J.P.P., Kuo, S., Gordon, A.D., Stock J.T., Ryan, T.M. (2021). Phenotypic Point Cloud Analysis. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4625638.
Bone maps 3D
R code to create 3D heatmaps for analyzing regional variation in trabecular structure throughout whole bones
● Saers, J.P.P. (2023). github.com/Jaapro/Bone_maps_3d
Deep learning fossil segmentations
Python machine learning models trained to automatically segment cortical and trabecular bone in micro CT scans of fossils
● Saers, J.P.P. (2023). github.com/Jaapro/Deep_learning_segmentation
INVITED LECTURES
● LiveScience, Naturalis Biodiversity Center (2023)
● Biological Anthropology Seminar Series, University of Cambridge (2022)
● Evolutionary Anthropology Seminar Series, University College London (2021)
● Biology Seminar Series, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University (2020)
● McMenemy Seminar, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge (2017)
● 3D Digital Technologies and Archaeology Workshop, McDonald Institute, Cambridge (2017)
● Middenbeemster Historical Society, Leiden University (2012)
SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, AND AWARDS
2022 Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship €187,724
2019 DM McDonald Grant £1,384
2017 Downing College Graduate Travel Award £700
2017 Archaeology Travel Grant – Cambridge University £500
2016 Lundgren grant – Cambridge University £1,400
2016 Downing College Graduate Travel Award £650
2015 Treherne Biological Sciences Scholarship £1,500
2015 The Sir Richard Stapley Trust £1,200
2015 Fieldwork Funds – School of the Humanities and Social Sciences £1,250
2015 Arts and Humanities Research Council Travel Award £1,000
2014 Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership £30,000
2014 Oon Khye Beng Ch'hia Tsio Scholarship £1,500
2014 The Sir Richard Stapley Trust £1,200
2013 VSB Fonds (NL) €10,000
2013 Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds (NL) €7,500
2013 Fundatie van Renswoude (NL) €6,000
2013 Dr. Hendrik Müller Vaderlandsch Fonds (NL) €5,000
PRIZES
American Association of Anatomists/American Association of Physical Anthropologists: Anatomy in Anthropology prize for exemplary student research
American Association of Physical Anthropologists • New Orleans • 2017
Awarded the prize for best student podium presentation at the largest conference in the field of biological anthropology
ACADEMIC SERVICE – PEER REVIEW
Peer-reviewed journals
● Journal of Human Evolution
● Journal of Anatomy
● PeerJ
● PNAS
● Nature: Scientific reports
● American Journal of Biological Anthropology
● Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
● Evolution and Development
● Frontiers in Physiology Medical Physics and Imaging
● Anthropological Science
Funding bodies
● The Leakey Foundation
MANAGERIAL ROLES
Co-chair of the Cambridge Biotomography Centre (CBC)
Department of Zoology • University of Cambridge, UK • 2018-2021
● The CBC is a multi-user research facility that houses a high resolution µCT Scanner and supports Cambridge and external researchers. The CBC is now financially self-sufficient and pays for the technician and repair costs and is now expanding to include segmentation services and in 2019 expanded to offer paid segmentation services.
● Duties include managing a technician, scanner bookings, maintenance, finances, and leading a quarterly meeting with Zoology faculty and staff to discuss ongoing matters.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists
Member of European Society for the Study of Human Evolution
Member of European Evolutionary Developmental Biology Society
Member of the International Society for Vertebrate Morphology