Dr. Loren Lease

Chair and Professor
Dr. Loren Lease - profile photo

Dr. Loren Lease

Chair Professor

Humanities & Social Sciences

DeBartolo Hall 438

phone: (330) 941-1686

lrlease@ysu.edu

Bio

The current Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Loren Lease is a Biological Anthropologist. She teaches classes in Biological Anthropology, Primatology, Paleoanthropology, and Forensic Anthropology. She also consults for local law enforcement and the Mahoning Coroner's Office regarding skeletal materials.

Research Interests

Deciduous Dentition
Oral Exostoses
Mandibular and Palatine Torus
Dental Wear

Teaching Interests

Deciduous Dentition (baby teeth)
Skeletal Biology
Forensic Anthropology
Dental Anthropology
Biological Anthropology
Science Communication
Primates
Paleoanthropology

  • Education
    • 2003

      Ph D, Anthropology

      The Ohio State University

      Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Ancestral Determination of African American and European American Deciduous Dentition Using Metric and Non-Metric Analysis"

    • 1996

      MA, Anthropology

      The Ohio State University

    • 1994

      BA, Anthropology

      Kenyon College

  • Intellectual Contributions
    • 2021

      "Correlations between dental wear and oral cavity characteristics: Mandibular torus, palatine torus, and oral exostoses."

      L. Lease

      American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, volume 33, issue 2, p. e23446

    • 2019

      "Correlations between dental wear and oral cavity characteristics: Mandibular torus, palatine torus, and oral exostoses"

      L. Lease

      American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Wiley Liss, volume 168, issue (S68), p. 139

    • 2016

      "Co-occurring extreme torus mandibularis, palatine torus, and oral exostoses: a case study."

      L. Lease, C. Bouchie, J. Ohr

      American Journal of Physical Anthropology, volume 159, p. 205

    • 2016

      "Anatomy of Individual Teeth and Tooth Classes"

      L. Lease

      Wiley Blackwell, p. 94-107

    • 2015

      "Knowledge of Primate Conservation amongst College Students"

      J. Morris, A. Skriyner, L. Lease

      American Journal of Physical Anthropology, volume 156, p. 229

    • 2013

      "A descriptive study of African American deciduous dentition"

      L. Lease

      Dental Anthropology Journal, volume 26, issue 2

    • 2007

      "Correlations between deciduous and permanent tooth morphology in a European American sample."

      H. Edgar, L. Lease

      American journal of physical anthropology, volume 133, issue 1, p. 726-34

    • 2006

      "Evolution of genetically correlated traits: tooth size and body size in baboons."

      L. Hlusko, L. Lease, M. Mahaney

      American journal of physical anthropology, volume 131, issue 3, p. 420-7

    • 2005

      "X chromosome effects and their interactions with mitochondrial effects."

      J. Kent, Jr, L. Lease, M. Mahaney, T. Dyer, L. Almasy, J. Blangero

      BMC genetics, volume 6 Suppl 1, issue Suppl 1, p. S157

    • 2005

      "Mitochondrial genetic effects on latent class variables associated with susceptibility to alcoholism."

      L. Lease, D. Winnier, J. Williams, T. Dyer, L. Almasy, M. Mahaney

      BMC genetics, volume 6 Suppl 1, issue Suppl 1, p. S158

    • 2005

      "Mesiodistal tooth crown dimensions of the primary dentition: a worldwide survey."

      E. Harris, L. Lease

      American journal of physical anthropology, volume 128, issue 3, p. 593-607

    • 2005

      "Genetic influences on peripheral blood cell counts: a study in baboons."

      M. Mahaney, C. Brugnara, L. Lease, O. Platt

      Blood, volume 106, issue 4, p. 1210-4

    • 2005

      "Brief communication: discrimination between European-American and African-American children based on deciduous dental metrics and morphology."

      L. Lease, P. Sciulli

      American journal of physical anthropology, volume 126, issue 1, p. 56-60

    • 2003

      "Preliminary investigation of population dynamics of Upper Ohio Valley: AD 1200-1650."

      P. Sciulli, L. Lease, B. Brown, N. Tatarak

      Archaeology of Eastern North America, volume 31, p. 1-14

    • 2001

      "Absence of association between body size and deciduous tooth size in American Black children"

      L. Lease, E. Harris

      Dental Anthropology Journal, volume 15, issue 1, p. 7-12

  • Professional Service
    • 2015 - present

      Committee Member
      “Anthropologists outside Anthropology departments, Contingent, and Teaching-focused faculty (AACT) Task Force: of American Association of Biological Anthropologists Committee on Diversity

    • 2007 - 2014

      Committee Member
      Career Development Committee of the American Association of Biological (Physical) Anthropology

    • 2007 - 2018

      Officer, Other Officer
      Dental Anthropology Association

  • Public Service
    • 2023 - present

      Committee Member
      PBS - Citizen Advisory Committee

    • 2005 - present

      Other
      Mahoning County Coroner's Office

    • 2005 - present

      Other
      consultant for local law enforcement agencies

PhD in Anthropology, The Ohio State University (2003)

The current Acting Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Loren Lease is a Biological Anthropologist.  She teaches classes in Biological Anthropology, Primatology, Paleoanthropology, and Forensic Anthropology.  She also consults for local law enforcement and the Mahoning Coroner's Office regarding skeletal materials.

Research interests:  Deciduous dentition (baby teeth) and dental anthropology.