University of Otago bioarchaeologist Associate Prof Sian Halcrow. Photos: Supplied

Associate Prof Sian Halcrow, of the University of Otago anatomy department, has been appointed as one of two new co-editors in chief of a leading global quarterly journal Bioarchaeology International.

Bioarchaeology is the study of human skeletal remains from archaeological sites.

A university spokesman said Prof Halcrow was an internationally respected palaeopathologist specialised in interpreting child remains and had recently co-edited a book titled The Mother-Infant Nexus in Anthropology.

Prof Halcrow said that taking on the "professionally prestigious role" of co-editing the US-based journal had reminded her of how far she had come since she had been an archaeology honours student at Otago 20 years ago.