By Anna Mayor, College of Arts and Sciences
Growing up in Costa Rica during the 1970s, Lorena Madrigal struggled to decide which of her passions to pursue in college.
“When I was a junior, I complained to my social science teacher that I did not know
what to study, since I liked social sciences and biology,” she said. “He told me,
incredulously, ‘Well, evidently, you need to study anthropology!’”
Biological anthropology became her career calling.
As a biological anthropologist with a BS, MS and PhD in anthropology, Madrigal has focused her research career on human microevolution through the lens of demographic and population genetics.
Her contributions to the field have garnered her national recognition. In March 2025, she received the American Association of Biological Anthropologists Gabriel W. Lasker Service Award, which honors one individual each year who has demonstrated a history of excellence in service to the field.
Most of Madrigal’s work has taken place in Costa Rica, in collaboration with her colleagues
from the Universidad de Costa Rica.
Madrigal and her team have used extensive maternal genealogy data to challenge the
‘grandmother hypothesis’ explaining post-menopausal longevity in humans — examining
detailed family histories through mothers’ lines to question the idea that women live
long after menopause mainly to help care for their grandchildren.
She’s also done work with populations of African and East Indian descent to trace community evolution, whether by gene flow or genetic drift.
Earlier this year, she co-authored a paper urging scientists from the Global North to collaborate more meaningfully with colleagues in the Global South during tropical fieldwork. She’s also writing a book for Sage Press, leading several research projects — including studies on sickle cell disease in Afro-Brazilian populations and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation in indigenous communities in Costa Rica and Mexico — and working on a project with two undergraduate Honors students on a rare, sickle cell-related cancer called renal medullary carcinoma.
“The Lasker Award means that my efforts have not gone unnoticed,” she said.
During her more than 40 years of involvement with the Association of Biological Anthropologists, Madrigal has served in nearly every leadership role available in the association, including as president.
Her scholarly work has made enduring contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
“My proudest professional achievement was working for the Indo-Costa Rican community, which inhabits the Caribbean coast and had never been studied before,” she said.
The Indo-Costa Rican community, according to Madrigal, is a culturally and genetically distinct group that is largely absent from national historical narratives.
Madrigal, who has been with USF since 1988, shared how USF’s biomedical anthropology program provides a unique foundation for students who are interested in approaching human health from a holistic, cross-cultural perspective.
“We have an extremely successful minor and major in biomedical anthropology,” said the professor, who proudly highlights the program’s impact on undergraduates pursuing careers in health.
With two active student groups — the Biomedical Anthropology Club and a USF chapter of the Council for Global Health Scholars — students gain a strong foundation in evolutionary, socio-cultural and cross-cultural aspects of health, making them stand out to medical schools and research programs, alike.
“I am extremely proud of our programs and of our students,” she said.
Learn more about her work and the biomedical anthropology program at USF.