Derek Boyd is a biological anthropologist who specializes in applying knowledge of human phenotypic (skeletal) variation to questions about life, health, and death in archaeological and forensic contexts with the ultimate goal of promoting health in living populations. His current research combines skeletal samples and archival documents to investigate the social, structural, and environmental determinants of respiratory health, access to treatment for traumatic injuries, and injury recidivism in industrializing England (AD 1700-1857) through the lens of intersectionality. He is also involved in several national and international collaborative research projects in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Information about these projects is available through the Human Health and Skeletal Biology Laboratory website.

In addition to his research and teaching, Derek is a practicing forensic anthropologist. He received training in forensic anthropology through the Human Identification Laboratory at California State University-Chico and the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. To supplement this training, he also completed internships with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. He later went on to provide anthropological consultation services to the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and, more recently, the Hamilton County Medical Examiner in Chattanooga, TN. He currently consults as a forensic anthropologist for the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Las Vegas, NV.