Bonjour! My name is Dr. Isabelle Sarton Miller
I am an anthropologist, whose specialty is adaptation to extreme environments: Cold, high altitude, hot/dry, hot/humid/arctic daylight
I do research in many parts of the world, such as, Canada,
Bolivia (4000 m high), St Kitts, Trinidad, The Arctic Circle (Finland & Norway) and Fairbanks (Alaska)
EDUCATION
Post Doctorate 2006 Bio-cultural Anthropology, University of Washington
Ph.D. 2005 Bio-cultural Anthropology, University of Washington
M.A. 1996 Bio-cultural Anthropology, University of Washington
M.S. 1976 Biochemistry, Université de Paris XI (France)
APPOINTMENTS
2015-Present
Senior Lecturer
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- Human Variation and Adaptation in Living Populations (Anth 314)
- Advanced Biological Anthropology: Principles of Human Evolution (Anth 311)
- Origins and Results of Food Technology: the Gluttonous Human, (IDS 343)
- Roots of misunderstandings (IDS 416)
- Primate social behavior (Anth 313)
- Independent primate study (Anth 496)
- Being Human: Past & Present (Anth 107)
2012-Present
Research Associate
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Research on adaptations to extreme environments.
2010-2015
Lecturer
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Museum Studies
2005-2006
Postdoctorate Research associate
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Lecturer (Introduction to the Principles of Biological Anthropology, Bio Anth 201)
1999-2005
Lecturer
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Lecturer (Bio Anth 201 and Bio Anth 370)
1996-1998
Teaching Assistant
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Teaching Assistant (Bio Anth 201)
1978-1980
Research Associate
HARBOR-UCLA MEDICAL CENTER
Research associate in Fetal-Maternal research
1976-1978
Research Associate
EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
Research associate in enzymology / stereochemistry
FIELD RESEARCH
2022-2023
Adaptation to arctic darkness around the winter solstice in Alaska Fairbanks.
2019-2020
Work in Norway in the Arctic Circle on the Sami people.
Work in Trinidad on adaptation to hot and humid climate, and the influence of technology.
2018-2019
Work in Finland & Norway in the Arctic Circle on the Sami people.
2016-2017
Work in St. Kitts and Trinidad on adaptation to hot and humid climate, and the influence of technology.
2015-2016
Developing a pilot study on the Inuit people in Nunavut Canadian Territory.
2014-2015
Project in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Research on the identity and culture of the Acadian people.
2013-2014
Work in St. Kitts and Trinidad on adaptation to hot and humid climate, and the influence of technology.
2016-2017
Work in St Kitts and Trinidad on adaptation to hot and humid climate, and the influence of technology.
2010-2012
Field work in Iceland, studying their strategies of survival for living on a volcanic island.
2006-2007
Explore new fields of research on the Altiplano in North Chili.
1999
1999 Worked on the altiplano (4000 m), Bolivia, measuring energy expenditure (EE) in Aymara children using HR monitoring and focal sampling.
Study on the Aymara culture and how culture and biology are intertwined.
1997
Explored the problems of standardization and ratios.
1995-1996
Research in La Paz, Bolivia looking at cultural and physical adaptations in a life at high altitude in the Aymara children. Assessed EE by measuring sub VO2 and VO2max in Aymara children. Identified and trouble-shot problems in measuring VO2max in non-Western children. Explored other means of measuring VO2max.
FUNDING
2022 Research grant (EVCC)
2019 Research grant (CWU)
2018 Professional development grant (Everett cc/ University Center)
2018 Research grant (CWU)
2017 Research grant (CWU)
2016 Exceptional faculty Award (Everett cc/University Center)
2015 Professional development grant (Everett cc/ University Center)
2004 Research funds (Microsoft)
2003 Research funds (Office of Research: University of Washington)
2003 NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant
-
Pre-Dissertation research Fund (Dept. Anthropology: University of Washington)
1999 Grant from the Center for Labor Studies (Political sciences Dept.: University of Washington)
PUBLICATIONS, PROFESSIONAL PAPERS & PRESENTATIONS
Sarton-Miller I. 2019 The Artic Circle and the people who live there.
Everett cc/ University Center.
Sarton-Miller I. 2018 Trinidad and Tobago Seen Through the Eyes of an Anthropologist
Everett cc/ University Center.
Sarton-Miller I. 2016 Understanding the Acadian people from an anthropologist’s perspective.
Part II/The “unexpected” in doing fieldwork
Everett cc/ University Center.
Sarton-Miller I. 2015 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: Understanding the Acadian people from an anthropologist’s perspective, Part I.
Everett cc/ University Center.
Sarton-Miller I. and Kramer P. 2010 Allometric scaling in energy expenditure of children performing exercises.
AAPA Annual meeting, April 15th, 2010 (Albuquerque), Am J Phys Anthropol. Suppl. 50:206.
Kramer PA and Sarton-Miller I. 2008 The energetics of human walking: is Froude Number (Fr) useful for metabolic comparisons? Gait and Posture. 27:209-215.
Sarton-Miller I. 2007 The cost of children’s work: How can we easily measure it in the 2007 field?
University of Nebraska
Sarton-Miller I. 2006 Non-invasive assessment of energy expenditure in children
Am. J Hum. Biol. Am J Hum Biol 18:600–609
Sarton-Miller I. 2006 Estimation of energy expenditure in children: a simple and non-invasive approach using heart rate and regression modeling.
HBA annual meeting, March 8th, 2006, (Anchorage). Am J Hum Biol 18: 271.
Sarton-Miller I. and Kramer P. 2004 Regression modeling to predict energy expenditure in children living at sea level. Postures and work done with the arms or legs are investigated.
HBA annual meeting, April 14th, 2004 (Tampa). Am J Hum Biol 16: 222
Sarton-Miller I. and Kramer P. 2004 Regression modeling to predict energy expenditure: Comparison between adults and children.
AAPA annual meeting, April 15th, 2004 (Tampa). Am J Phys Anthropol, Suppl. S 38:172
Kramer P. and Sarton-Miller I. 2004 Do body proportions matter when predicting the energy required to walk?
AAPA annual meeting, April 15th, 2004 (Tampa). Am J Phys Anthropol, Suppl 30:269. S 38: 128
Sarton-Miller I, Holman DJ and Spielvogel H. 2003 Regression-based prediction of energy expenditure in children living at high altitude in Bolivia. Biol. 15: 554-565.
Sarton-Miller I. Gender differences in the work of Aymara children at high
2000 altitude. AAPA annual meeting, April 15th, 2000 (San Antonio). Am J Phys Anthropol, Suppl 30:269.
Sarton- Miller I. 1998 Which criteria should be chosen to define VO2max in non-
Western children?
AAPA annual meeting, April 3rd 1998 (Salt Lake City). Am J Phys Anthropol, Suppl 26:194.
Sarton- Miller I and Tracer D. 1997 VO2max in children: problems with the use of “per body mass” standardization procedures.
AAPA annual meeting, (St Louis). Am J Phys Anthropol, Suppl 24:203.
Sarton-Miller I. Exploring VO2max in children: a look at the best predictors and 1997 the effects of gender. Student Poster Award Competition, AAAS
Science Innovation Exposition, Feb 14th 1997 (Seattle).
Other publications and professional papers:
Jobe A, Ikegami M, Sarton-Miller I, Jones S, and Yu G 1981
Characterization of phospholipids and localization of some phospholipid synthetic and subcellular marker enzymes in subcellular fractions from rabbit lung. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 666:47-57.
Jobe A, Ikegami M and Sarton-Miller I. 1980 The in vivo labeling with acetate and palmitate of lung phospholipids from developing and adult rabbits. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 617: 65-75.
Jobe A, Ikegami M, Sarton-Miller I, and Barajas L 1980 Surfactant metabolism of newborn lamb lungs studied in vivo. J. appl. physiol. 49 (6): 1091-1098
Jobe A, Ikegami M, Sarton-Miller I. 1979 Palmitic acid synthesized by the developing lungs is a preferred precursor of surfactant phosphatidylcholine. Society for Pediatric Research, American Pediatric Society annual meeting. SPR APS annual meeting, May 3rd 1979 (Atlanta).
Midelfort C F and Sarton-Miller I. 1978 The stereochemical course of acetate activation
by yeast acetyl-CoA synthetase. J. Biol. Chem. 253 (20): 7127-29.