Dr. Lisa Ludvico
Dr. Lisa Ludvico is a biological anthropologist, researcher, and educator whose work bridges anthropology, genetics, forensic science, and animal behavior. She earned her Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1996. Her dissertation examined the reproductive strategies of feral female horses at Assateague Island National Park and incorporated behavioral observation, vegetation analysis, and genetic paternity testing.
She later conducted research and taught as a postdoctoral scientist at Trinity University and as an adjunct postdoctoral scientist in the Department of Genetics at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, both in San Antonio, Texas. Her areas of study include cranial analysis for the repatriation of Native American remains under NAGPRA, cross-cultural studies of scarification practices, genetic research on primates, genetic and behavioral research on feral cat colonies, and the analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA).
Teaching and mentoring students remain central to Dr. Ludvico’s work. She has developed and taught molecular and forensic laboratory courses, as well as courses in biological and cultural anthropology, and she has taught animal behavior for 26 years. She has also mentored master’s student research on diverse topics, including the use of human remains detection dogs (HRD) to locate human bones dating to 500 AD, environmental DNA (eDNA) studies of spotted lanternflies, the assessment of fentanyl concentrations in blow fly larvae, and the identification of biomarkers associated with prolonged starvation in cats.