My group integrates ancient and modern DNA within a multi-disciplinary and community-engaged research framework to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of humans, human-associated microbes, and faunal domesticates. Our current research investigates the genetic and adaptive histories of humans and their domesticates, interplay between human genetic and cultural histories, and the evolution of human pathogens and microbiome. Our interests span questions and applications in multiple fields, including population and evolutionary genetics, anthropology, and archaeology. We are also committed to advancing ethical and sustainable research practices in paleogenomics and to science outreach and communication. Through the implementation of multiple complementary projects set within the global context, our research will ultimately contribute to the understanding of evolutionary mechanisms that underlie adaptations and diseases among human populations.
University of Cambridge
UK
Senior Research Associate - Paleogenomics, Population genetics
2018
Natural History Museum of Denmark
Denmark
Postdoctoral researcher - Paleogenomics, Population genetics
2015
University of Copenhagen
Denmark
PhD - Paleogenomics (ancient DNA)
2011
University of Oxford
UK
MSc - Archaeological Sciences
2007
University of Toronto
Canada
BSc (Hons) - Molecular Biology
2006
Population histories of the Indigenous Adivasi and Sinhalese from Sri Lanka using whole genomes.
Population histories of the Indigenous Adivasi and Sinhalese from Sri Lanka using whole genomes. Curr Biol. 2025 Jun 09; 35(11):2554-2566.e7.
PMID: 40494279
The genesis of paleogenetics.
The genesis of paleogenetics. Nat Rev Genet. 2025 May; 26(5):297.
PMID: 40148574
The Genomic and Cultural Diversity of the Inka Qhapaq Hucha Ceremony in Chile and Argentina.
The Genomic and Cultural Diversity of the Inka Qhapaq Hucha Ceremony in Chile and Argentina. Genome Biol Evol. 2024 Sep 03; 16(9).
PMID: 39235046
Distinct positions of genetic and oral histories: Perspectives from India.
Distinct positions of genetic and oral histories: Perspectives from India. HGG Adv. 2024 Jul 18; 5(3):100305.
PMID: 38720459
Going local with ancient DNA: A review of human histories from regional perspectives.
Going local with ancient DNA: A review of human histories from regional perspectives. Science. 2023 10 06; 382(6666):53-58.
PMID: 37797024
Recommendations for Sustainable Ancient DNA Research in the Global South: Voices From a New Generation of Paleogenomicists.
Recommendations for Sustainable Ancient DNA Research in the Global South: Voices From a New Generation of Paleogenomicists. Front Genet. 2022; 13:880170.
PMID: 35559028
The Articulation of Genomics, Mestizaje, and Indigenous Identities in Chile: A Case Study of the Social Implications of Genomic Research in Light of Current Research Practices.
The Articulation of Genomics, Mestizaje, and Indigenous Identities in Chile: A Case Study of the Social Implications of Genomic Research in Light of Current Research Practices. Front Genet. 2022; 13:817318.
PMID: 35309125
An Ancient Genome from the Indus Valley Civilization.
An Ancient Genome from the Indus Valley Civilization. Cell. 2019 10 17; 179(3):586-588.
PMID: 31626767
DNA evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by Greenlandic Paleo-Inuit 4,000 years ago.
DNA evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by Greenlandic Paleo-Inuit 4,000 years ago. Nat Commun. 2016 11 08; 7:13389.
PMID: 27824339
POPULATION GENETICS. Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans.
POPULATION GENETICS. Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans. Science. 2015 Aug 21; 349(6250):aab3884.
PMID: 26198033
Don York Faculty Initiative Award
University of Chicago
2023
Neubauer Family Assistant Professors Program
University of Chicago
2018 - 2023