I am one of only a handful of biological anthropologists in Australia. Trained in biological and forensic anthropology as well as human anatomy, I received my PhD from the University of Otago in 2000. I have undertaken research in to prehistoric, historic and modern human skeletal remains from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Australia.

I specialise in paleopathology (the study of disease in the past). I have a particular interest in age-related mortality, growth during childhood and associated growth disturbances, joint disease especially osteoarthritis, trauma, dental health and other pathologies such as infectious diseases. My research is predominantly conducted in mainland Southeast Asia and I currently have projects in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. On these projects I work closely with archaeologists to uncover human skeletal remains from ancient cemeteries dated between 1000 to 5000 years ago.

Currently, my teaching is focused on the musculoskeletal system for Medical, Biomedical, Science and Rehabilitation students.

Teaching

• BM1041: Anatomy and Physiology for Physiotherapy 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• BM1052: Anatomy and Physiology for Speech Pathology 2 (Level 1; TSV)
• MD1010: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 1 of 2 (Level 1; CNS & TSV)
• MD1020: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 2 of 2 (Level 1; TSV)
• PC1002: Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 (Level 1; CNS & TSV)

Interests

Professional

• I actively seek to foster research development in postgraduate students. I have a long association with the Australasian Society for Human Biology (ASHB) providing leadership on the executive and conference committees.

Research

• My research focus aims to understand community health of prehistoric people through analysis of human skeletal remains, particularly focusing on the influence of the distinctive Southeast Asian diet, tropical environment, climate and their changes over time. The nexus of health, environment and society, seen through the lens of climate change and conflict is a key overarching theme of all my research. The impact of this research has grown to be internationally significant particularly in regard to my work on dental health and the rice diet and the understanding of conflict in the rise and fall of societies. My career to date includes many ‘firsts’: FIRST to publish on the health of prehistoric communities in Burma (Tayles, Domett and Pauk Pauk 2001) and Cambodia (Domett and O’Reilly, 2009); the FIRST recording of dental filing in prehistoric Southeast Asia (Domett et al, 2013); and the FIRST skeletal evidence of large scale conflict in prehistoric Southeast Asia (Domett et al., 2011). This exciting research career feeds directly into my passion for postgraduate and undergraduate teaching.

Teaching

• JCU’s Strategic Intent is to inspire our students to gain knowledge and intellectual curiosity. Student learning is driven by student engagement. I believe that without a passion for my subject, I cannot expect significant engagement from students. Engagement also comes from the way in which I blend learning basic anatomical structures in the lab with discipline specific cases to contextualise and apply anatomical knowledge. This also promotes deeper learning. The College of Medicine and Dentistry has excellent Anatomy teaching facilities and I would like to see them used to train not only the next generation of healthcare professionals but also the next generation of anatomists.

Experience

• 2015 to present - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, Australia)
• 2008 to 2014 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, Australia)
• 2002 to 2007 - Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, Australia)
• 1998 to 1999 - Assistant Lecturer, University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand)

Research Disciplines

• Archaeology (4301)
• Anthropology (4401)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Understanding past societies (1307)

Memberships

• IndoPacific Prehistory Association - Executive Committee Member 2019-ongoing
• Australasian Society for Human Biology (Treasurer 2013-2019 and Secretary 2012-2013)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Buckley H, Roberts P, Kinaston R, Petchey P, King C, Domett K, Snoddy A and Matisoo-Smith E (2022) Living and dying on the edge of the Empire: a bioarchaeological examination of Otago’s early European settlers. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 52 (1). pp. 68-94
• Domett K, Colbert A and Chang N (2022) The impact of clubfoot: A holistic, paleopathological case study from Bronze Age Thailand. Bioarchaeology International, 6 (4). pp. 274-293
• Pedersen L and Domett K (2022) Adult age at death estimation: methods tested on Thai postcranial skeletal remains. Anthropological Science, 130 (2). pp. 147-159
• Vlok M, Buckley H, Domett K, Willis A, Tromp M, Trinh H, Minh T, Mai Huong N, Nguyen L, Matsumura H, Huu N and Oxenham M (2022) Hydatid disease (Echinococcosis granulosis) diagnosis from skeletal osteolytic lesions in an early seventh?millennium BP forager community from preagricultural northern Vietnam. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 177 (1). pp. 100-115
• Oxenham M, Trinh H, Matsumura H, Domett K, Huffer D, Crozier R, Nguyen L and McFadden C (2021) Identity and community structure in Neolithic man bac, northern Vietnam. Archaeological Research in Asia, 26.
• Shewan L, O'Reilly D, Armstrong R, Toms P, Webb J, Beavan N, Luangkhoth T, Wood J, Halcrow S, Domett K, Van Den Bergh J and Chang N (2021) Dating the megalithic culture of Laos: radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence and U/Pb zircon results. PLoS ONE, 16 (3).
• Vlok M, Buckley H, Miszkiewicz J, Walker M, Domett K, Willis A, Trinh H, Minh T, Nguyen M, Nguyen L, Matsumura H, Wang T, Nghia H and Oxenham M (2021) Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia. Scientific Reports, 11 (1).
• O'Reilly D, Shewan L, Domett K and An S (2020) Revisiting Prei Khmeng: the excavation of an Iron Age settlement and cemetery in cambodia. Asian Perspectives, 59 (1). pp. 33-60
• Vlok M, Oxenham M, Domett K, Tran Thi M, Nguyen Thi Mai H, Matsumura H, Trinh H, Higham T, Higham C, Nghia T and Buckley H (2020) Two probable cases of infection with Treponema pallidum during the Neolithic period in Northern Vietnam (~2000- 1500B.C.). Bioarchaeology International, 4 (1). pp. 15-36
• Higham C, Manly B, Thosarat R, Buckley H, Chang N, Halcrow S, Ward S, O'Reilly D, Shewan L and Domett K (2019) Environmental and social change in northeast Thailand during the Iron Age. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 29 (4). pp. 549-569

Book Chapters

• Adams A, Halcrow S, King C, Miller M, Vlok M, Millard A, Gröcke D, Buckley H, Domett K, Hoang Trinh H, Thi Minh T and Oxenham M (2021) We’re all in this together: accessing the maternal-infant relationship in prehistoric Vietnam. In: The Family in Past Perspective: an interdisciplinary exploration of familial relationships through time. Routledge, London, UK, pp. 191-221
• Halcrow S, Crozier R, Domett K, Lertcharnrit T, Newton J, Shewan L and Ward S (2019) Ethical issues of bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia. In: Ethical Approaches to Human Remains: a global challenge in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 465-484

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 66+ research outputs authored by A/Prof Kate Domett from 2004 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Enhancing palaeopathological diagnostic techniques for osteoporosis through analysis of prehistoric and modern Southeast Asian skeletal collections (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Leprosy and Tuberculosis? A Southeast Asian Paleopathological Investigation (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• A biosocial interpretation of disease in rural, regional, and urban centres from 1850-1900 in Australasia (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Body size, health, and diet at Con Co Ngua, Vietnam: an isotopic assessment of diet and physiological assessment of skeletal remains (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Reconstruction of the Biological Profile of Modern and Prehistoric Thai Populations (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Stature Estimation from Fragmentary Skeletal Remains in Prehistoric Cambodia with health and forensic applications (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Fibrin Glue in Skin Grafts for Skin Cancer (PhD , Advisor Mentor)

Completed

• The dentition of the people of Iron Age Non Ban Jak (2022, Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Zooarchaeological analysis of animal resources in the Upper Mun River Valley, Northeast Thailand (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.