Kaita is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology, a visiting scholar at the Center for Sociogenomics at Purdue University, and Graduate Student Researcher at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research focuses on how stress and trauma during pregnancy effects the development of children's teeth. She is broadly interested in enamel growth patterns, fluctuating asymmetry, stress, and developmental defects of enamel. She has experience with archaeological and paleoecological fieldwork in Virginia, Peru, and Kenya as well as research experience with primate dentition. Her research interests include dental anthropology, human biology, modern human variation, and developmental stress.

External Awards:

• National Science Foundation Biological Anthropology Program- Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant

Internal Awards:

• The Ohio State University Graduate School- Alumni Grant for Graduate Research and Scholarship
• Council of Graduate Students- Career Development Grant
• Department of Anthropology- DEM3 Anthropology and Developmental Fund
• Department of Anthropology- Daniel T. Hughes Memorial Fund
• Department of Anthropology- Larsen Research and Travel Award
• Department of Anthropology- Elizabeth A. Salt Anthropology Travel Award