I am an anthropological geneticist with interests in human population history and the origins of human infectious disease. I use an evolutionary perspective to investigate the processes that have produced observed, modern distributions of human genetic and pathogen/parasite diversity. To do this, I primarily employ computational methods (e.g., phylogenetics, population genetics, and simulation) to the analysis of novel and publicly available genetic and cultural data. My current research projects involve: 1) identifying the major historical events / determinants of Native American diversity, focusing on the original peopling event ~15 KYA and the post-Columbian population crash; 2) investigating the effect of human demographic history on the evolution of human pathogens and parasites, including the effect of agricultural lifestyles on the human microbiome; 3) understanding the molecular evolution and macro-evolutionary processes affecting pathogen genetic diversity; and 4) the application of evolutionary principles to infer the complex history of human cultural diversity, especially with regard to the construction of language phylogenies.
Dr. Wilson is Professor of Global Health in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Internal Medicine. Her research addresses the immune and molecular biology of the pathogenic Leishmania species protozoa. Her studies approach the disease through both laboratory and field-based studies in endemic countries. Goals are to determine the host and parasite factors leading to chronic symptomatic infection in humans and in animal models. She is adding to her extensive resume by pursing a Ph.D. with our lab in addition to her other roles!
I'm a graduate student in the PhD program. I am interested in early primate evolution and the adaptive shifts leading to the emergence of primates, which I will evaluate through a genetic lens in my dissertation. Previously, I completed research evaluating the role of meat in human evolution through gene selection analyses of genes critical to the taste perception and digestion of proteins across primates. Science engagement is very important to me and I work within my hometown community in rural Iowa to increase access to science. Beyond research and science engagement, I enjoy rollerbladding, attempting to forage in Iowa, reading fantasy and rapidly cycling through hobbies! You can learn more about my research and science engagement on my website here.
Dani received her BA in English from the University of Dubuque in 2022. She studies gene selection for autism and other cognitive disorders in social and antisocial primates. She enjoys running and thrifting!
I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in biology and anthropology with a minor in ancient civilizations. Currently, I am working on studying polyomaviridae and their evolutionary history based on their mutation rates. Outside of research, I am engaged in science outreach and communication such as the Latham Science Engagement Fellowship where I helped create lesson plans on evolution and created a children’s book to teach children about bones and what we can learn from them. In the future, I hope to pursue a PhD in evolutionary biology and anthropology studying ancient DNA and anatomy in hominins and ancient civilizations. When I am not working on research or classes, I love watching movies, going on walks, and spending time with friends.
My name is Rachel Ford, I'm a Biology undergraduate with a minor in anthropology on the pre-med track. I love to volunteer with children and regularly volunteer with the Stead Family's Children's Hospital at UIHC and with A Moment of Magic (a volunteer group that provides Disney and original character interactions and activities to children and their families going through health crises in need). I can play the trumpet, my favorite genre of music is K-Pop, and I used to be in the Iowa Marching band. In lab, I'm currently looking at a gene called AVPR1A that is thought to be responsible for absolute pitch ( also known as perfect pitch), which is when one can identify a note without reference to another note and without knowing how it was formed (such as looking at the keys on an instrument). I am sequencing the AVPR1A gene of a variety of species to see if there is any commonality between species that may point towards gene conservation, or if this is unique to humans.
Ariane recently completed her Ph.D. in archaeogenetics with Drew Kitchen at the University of Iowa. Her dissertation used zooarchaeological and bioinformatic approaches to study past human-dog interactions at Jamestown Colony, Virginia, which has been featured in the New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/29/science/jamestown-dogs-famine.html]. This work stems from her main focus, which is the study of non-human animals to gain insight into past human behaviors. The goal of this research is to contribute to hypotheses about domestication and the human impacts on past ecology of the Americas. Currently, she is studying the genetic effect of European colonization on dogs from the North American Plains, the human impact on dog phenotypic variation, and the genomic evolution of modern dog breeds at the National Institutes of Health as a postdoc. Her research interests include ancient DNA, impacts of European colonization, admixture and introgression, and phylogenetics. She is a strong advocate of increasing accessibility in science, public literacy of evolution and genomics/genetics, community engagement, and reproducibility in science. Ariane spends her free time hiking, baking, sampling teas, and trying to catch two very chatty guinea pigs.
I graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2024, where I earned B.S. degrees in anthropology (medical anthropology) and biology (genetics and biotechnology). I am broadly interested in the intersection of social science and science, particularly concerning the biological and cultural underpinnings of human emotion. I worked on a project with Ariane that aimed to characterize the genetic variation near AVRP1a, a gene that has been implicated in pair bonding and romantic love. In the future, I’m inclined to a career that deconstructs the barriers (and academic jargon) surrounding science and makes such information palatable to all demographics. Outside of research and class, I enjoy journaling, writing poetry, painting, and working out.
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student, majoring in anthropology (B.S.). My areas of interest are within the evolutionary genome sequencing of non-human primates and humans through differing flow. This includes the local ecology/microbiome influence on early human origin adaptations, as well as cultural art/tool and resource selection. I am interested in how those have been transferred through varying exchange modes as culture diversified with climatic events, dietary shifts, metabolic health activities, speech/language, migration/cross-cultural trade, agriculture, and more. How the interactions influenced cognition and behavior with effect on altruism and perception (cultural and sensory), whether abstract or realism. If possible, to be able to detect gene selection and change in allele frequency as divergence occurred over time inside and outside of Africa, in relation to the reciprocal dynamics that can be applied to modern society today. Currently, I am working on a project with Mack on the role of meat and protein/amino acids through gene selection of taste perception and digestion of proteins across primates. My hobbies include being outside around nature, as well as staying active outdoors and learning creative cultural art.
Hello! I'm Thomas, an undergraduate at Rice University. I'm visiting the lab over the summer to analyze the migration of the Coronavirus Gamma variant. More generally, I'm studying the effectiveness of subsampling genetic data to draw inferences about intractably large datasets, and the degree to which small samples can ignore critical migration events. My major is in mathematics, so I am applying statistical methods to interpret the data outputted by phylogenetic analysis software. If you're interested, my contact info and more of my work are posted on here.
Hi, I'm Zsigi, a highschooler taking an internship with the lab. I'm currently taking subsequences of SARS -Cov-2 genomes. A small part in a larger project being worked on here at the lab.
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