Barry Bogin has expertise in human physical growth and development, nutritional ecology, evolutionary biology, Maya people, and human adaptation. The focus of his research is to explain how Social-Economic-Political-Emotional (SEPE) forces influence human physical development. He has authored more than 230 books, articles, book chapters, and popular essays. These include the books Patterns of Human Growth, 3rd edition (2021), Human Variability and PlasticityHuman Biology: An Evolutionary and Biocultural Approach, and The Growth of Humanity.

Bogin was born in the United States. He studied Biology and Anthropology at Temple University, Philadelphia (BA, MA, and PhD in Anthropology). Bogin worked at the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala (1974-76), Wayne State University, Detroit (1977-82), and University of Michigan-Dearborn (1982-2006). Bogin joined Loughborough University in 2007 and retired from full-time activities in 2018.

"Patterns of Human Growth" - Social, Economic, Political, Emotional

Interview with Emeritus Professor Barry Bogin.

Bogin’s research focuses on the interactions between human biology and culture. Specific topics are: 1) how culture influences human physical growth, development and maturation; and 2) the evolution of the pattern of human growth. Especially two new stages of development - childhood and adolescence - stages not found in other mammals. Bogin applies the biocultural perspective to differences in physical growth and health between Maya children living in Guatemala versus the USA, the causes of very short stature and high risk for obesity in Maya families living in Yucatan, Mexico and Guatemala (see Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Knowledge Integration (ki)), the relationships of Migration, Nutrition & Aging (MINA Project) within Bangladeshi women living in the UK and in Bangladesh, and the use of leg length as an indicator of healthy growth.

Bogin is a Panel Member for Anthropology and Development Studies (Sub-Panel 22) of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), which evaluates research at all public universities in the UK. He served as panel member for the REF2014.

Bogin is a member of the UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), USA. The goal of CARTA is to promote research into human origins, drawing on methods from the social, biomedical, biological, computational and engineering, physical and chemical sciences, and the humanities.

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