¡Bienvenidos & Welcome!

My name is Horvey Palacios and welcome to my website & blog Molecules Destabilized. I am a Miami native, queer Cuban-American Latinx man currently completing my Ph.D. in Molecular Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma—BOOMER SOONER! I am a broadly trained anthropological bioarchaeologist with a regional focus on the Americas, both ancient and contemporary. I work at the Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR) within the Department of Anthropology and The Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomics Research (CEIGR), and I am pursuing graduate certificates in both Data Analytics and Digital Humanities.

My current research and community collaborations span Mesoamerica, including work in the Yucatán at Yaxuná and Cobá, and in southern Belize—particularly within the Bladen Nature Reserve. Across these sites, I support archaeological and biomolecular research that is ethically driven and community-oriented, while foregrounding historical memory, ecological stewardship, and Indigenous partnerships.

I am originally trained in anthropological archaeology at the University of Miami, where I specialized in Maya archaeology. I completed my M.A. in Anthropology at the University of Central Florida, focusing on Maya bioarchaeology and training in stable isotope analysis at the Laboratory for Bioarchaeological Sciences (LBAS). I have also worked on federal and state CRM excavation projects in Florida, supported NAGPRA compliance efforts in both museum and university settings, and developed expertise in interdisciplinary pedagogy, teaching, and public science engagement.

I am a big fan of musicals, giraffes, plants, Florence + The Machine, and magical realism!

Engagement and Public Scholarship

I believe deeply in building pathways—not pipelines—for students, communities, and collaborators to shape science from the ground up. I’ve mentored high school and undergraduate students through the NIH-funded Youth Enjoy Science (YES) Oklahoma program, teaching courses on cancer health disparities and molecular biology methods that center Indigenous and Latinx experiences. I also teach cadaver-based human anatomy and continue to design courses that connect students to both the body and the broader biosocial systems that shape health.

Through The Community Archaeologist (TCA), I serve as Editor-in-Chief and mentor contributors in storytelling, visual communication, and community-centered research. TCA is a digital magazine and collaborative training space that uplifts public-facing archaeology and amplifies underrepresented voices in the field.

Whether in the lab, classroom, field, or publication, my goal is to create spaces where knowledge production is not only inclusive—but co-owned.

Bridging Anthropology

At the heart of my work is a commitment to collaborative, community-driven research that bridges molecular anthropology, archaeology, and digital humanities. I strive to co-develop ethical research designs and public-facing products in partnership with the communities connected to the histories and materials I study. Whether through curriculum co-creation, digital exhibitions, or interpretive media, I work to ensure that knowledge is not only generated with communities—but also returned in meaningful, culturally responsive ways.

Digital humanities tools play a central role in this effort. I use data visualization, mapping, network analysis, and design-forward platforms to make complex scientific and historical narratives accessible across audiences. These tools are not simply for dissemination—they are part of how I imagine and carry out ethical, collaborative scholarship. My work challenges conventional boundaries between science, storytelling, and public engagement, aiming to destabilize the hierarchies of academic knowledge and make research more inclusive, transparent, and dialogic. The goal is to dismantle barriers between communities, disciplines, and knowledge-making systems—to destabilize not just molecules, but how and for whom knowledge is produced.

What is this site?

I started Molecules Destabilized to reflect on my research, share educational resources, and connect with others who care about the intersections of anthropology, biomolecular science, education, and justice. This site is a place where I write honestly about the excitements and frustrations of academia, and where I commit to making my work accessible to those most often excluded from it.

As a scholar committed to decolonial ethics and public engagement, I believe research must serve—not extract from—communities. Through this site and all my work, I aim to push molecular anthropology toward a future that is collaborative, grounded, and just.

All opinions are my own—unless cited otherwise 😉 #academichumor

I am even more certain that to create dangerously is also to create fearlessly, boldly embracing the public and private terrors that would silence us. –Edwidge Danticat