Human bones are the most direct and tangible source of information about the lives and deaths of past individuals and populations. In his work, Dr. Hugo Cardoso seeks to uncover the identity, life history, and circumstances of death of individuals through the examination of their remains, retrieved from forensic, archaeological, or geological contexts. He is particularly interested in investigating how the social environment determines and interacts with skeletal and dental growth processes and indicators of nutrition, disease, and injury inscribed in children’s bones and teeth. His research provides improved tools to identify and clarify cause of death of found human remains, to reveal various aspects of childhood and children's lived experiences in history and prehistory, and to further our understanding about the evolution of human growth patterns.

Forensic and biological anthropologist, currently a Full Professor in the Department of Archaeology and co-Director of the Centre for Forensic Research at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada.