Doctor Ronika Power admits she’s been obsessed with death her whole life.

And she’s not only made a career of that obsession, now she’s winning awards as well.

The Macquarie University Associate Professor of Bioarchaeology has been named the 2019 Max Crawford Medalist “for achievement and promise in the humanities”.

Simply put, she looks at archaeological evidence and forms a picture “of what it was really like to live, and die, in the ancient world”.

Dr Power tells Alan Jones the deathly desires “started in the living room of our family home”.

And it’s not just historical work, it has an impact on.

“Our work in identifying the processes of diseases that have scourged both the ancient and modern worlds have had a huge impact on the treatment and prevention of illnesses such as syphilis, leprosy and tuberculosis.”

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