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

• BM1004: Anatomy: Structure and Movement (Level 1; TSV)
• BM1031: Anatomy and Physiology for Occupational Therapy 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• BM1041: Anatomy and Physiology for Physiotherapy 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• BM1051: Anatomy and Physiology for Speech Pathology 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• BM1061: Anatomy and Physiology for Sport and Exercise Science 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• MD1010: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 1 of 2 (Level 1; TSV)
• MD1020: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 2 of 2 (Level 1; 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 (2101)
• Anthropology (1601)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Understanding Past Societies (9505)
• Health (9299)

Memberships

• Australasian Society for Human Biology (Treasurer 2013-ongoing and Secretary 2012-2013)
• IndoPacific Prehistory Association
• Paleopathology Association
• American Association of Physical Anthropologists

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

• Higham C, Manly B, Thosarat R, Buckley H, Chang N, Halcrow S, Ward S, O'Reilly D, Shewan L and Domett K (in press) Environmental and social change in northeast Thailand during the Iron Age. Cambridge Archaeological Journal,
• Matsumura H, Hung H, Higham C, Zhang C, Yamagata M, Nguyen L, Li Z, Fan X, Simanjuntak T, Oktaviana A, He J, Chen C, Pan C, He G, Sun G, Huang W, Li X, Wei X, Domett K, Halcrow S, Nguyen K, Trinh H, Bui C, Nguyen K and Reinecke A (2019) Craniometrics reveal "two layers" of prehistoric human dispersal in eastern Eurasia. Scientific Reports, 9.
• Lipson M, Cheronet O, Mallick S, Rohland N, Oxenham M, Pietrusewsky M, Pryce T, Willis A, Matsumura H, Buckley H, Domett K, Nguyen G, Trinh H, Kyaw A, Win T, Pradier B, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Candilio F, Changmai P, Fernandes D, Ferry M, Gamarra B, Harney E, Kampuansai J, Kutanan W, Michel M, Novak M, Oppenheimer J, Sirak K, Stewardson K, Zhang Z, Flegontov P, Pinhasi R and Reich D (2018) Ancient genomes document multiple waves of migration in Southeast Asian prehistory. Science, 361 (6397). pp. 92-95
• Oxenham M, Trinh H, Willis A, Jones R, Domett K, Castillo C, Wood R, Bellwood P, Tromp M, Kells A, Piper P, Pham S, Matsumura H and Buckley H (2018) Between foraging and farming: strategic rseponses to the Holocene Thermal Maximum in Southeast Asia. Antiquity, 92 (364). pp. 940-957
• Dhavale N, Halcrow S, Buckley H, Tayles N, Domett K and Gray A (2017) Linear and appositional growth in infants and children from the prehistoric settlement of Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand: evaluating biological responses to agricultural intensification in Southeast Asia. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 11. pp. 435-446
• Domett K, Evans C, Chang N, Tayles N and Newton J (2017) Interpreting osteoarthritis in bioarchaeology: highlighting the importance of a clinical approach through case studies from prehistoric Thailand. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 11. pp. 762-773
• O'Reilly D, Shewan L, Domett K, Newton J, Evans D, Voeurn V and Beavan N (2015) The excavation of Phum Sophy 2009-2010: an Iron Age site in north-west Cambodia. Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology, 39. pp. 57-73
• Domett K, Newton J, O'Reilly D, Tayles N, Shewan L and Beavan N (2013) Cultural modification of the dentition in prehistoric Cambodia. International Journal of Osteoarcheology, 23 (3). pp. 274-286
• Newton J, Domett K, O'Reilly D and Shewan L (2013) Dental health in Iron Age Cambodia: temporal variations with rice agriculture. International Journal of Paleopathology, 3 (1). pp. 1-10
• Beavan N, Halcrow S, McFadgen B, Hamilton D, Buckley B, Sokha T, Shewan L, Sokha O, Fallon S, Miksic J, Armstrong R, O'Reilly D, Domett K and Chhem K (2012) Radiocarbon dates from jar and coffin burials of the Cardamom Mountains reveal a previously unrecorded mortuary ritual in Cambodia's late- to post-Angkor period (15th–17th centuries AD). Radiocarbon, 54 (1). pp. 1-22

Book Chapters

• Newton J and Domett K (2017) The biocultural context of dental modification in prehistoric Southeast Asia. In: A World View of Bioculturally Modified Teeth. Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, pp. 159-181
• Domett K, Newton J, Colbert A, Chang N and Halcrow S (2016) Frail, foreign or favoured? A contextualized case study from Bronze Age northeast Thailand. In: The Routledge Handbook of Bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Routledge, New York, NY, USA, pp. 68-94

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 48+ 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

• Fibrin Glue in Skin Grafts for Skin Cancer (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Reconstruction of the Biological Profile of Modern and Prehistoric Thai Populations (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Zooarchaeological analysis of animal resources in the Upper Mun River Valley, Northeast Thailand (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Health and society in Southeast Asia: the transition from the late Bronze Age to Iron Age (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Sites, survey, and ceramics: a GIS-based approach to modelling ancient settlement patterns in the Upper Mun River, Northeast Thailand (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Health, diet and migration prior to the establishment of the pre-Angkorian civilisation of Southeast Asia (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Trauma and conflict in prehistoric Southeast Asia: a life of war or peace (2017, Masters , Primary 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.