Some students are surprised to learn that their gross anatomy professor is a paleontologist—that’s a scientist who studies fossils, right? My research is actually focused on the origins and evolution of humans today, during the period from about 6 million years ago to present day. Teaching anatomy at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has benefits in both directions: I bring the history of the human body’s development to how (and why) it works as it does today. And lecturing future physicians on a campus with three hospitals benefits my science research into our past.