Evolutionary basis of human diseases in western Eurasia: insights from ancient genomics
Year of award: 2018
Grantholders
Prof Eske Willerslev
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Dr Rasmus Nielsen
University of California, Berkeley, United States
Dr Terry Jones
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Prof Julian Parkhill
Wellcome Sanger Institute, United Kingdom
Prof Kristian Kristiansen
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Prof Laurent Excoffier
University of Bern, Switzerland
Prof Richard Durbin
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Prof Ron Fouchier
Erasmus Medical Centre, Netherlands
Project summary
The evolutionary underpinnings for the variations in health status and disease susceptibilities among different populations around the world remain poorly understood despite their importance to assessing and addressing disease risk in an increasingly complex world.
We will investigate past demographic, selective and epidemiological processes that shaped the present-day genetic profile of western Eurasians using genomic data from ancient humans and their pathogens spanning the past 10,000 years. We will clarify their evolutionary histories and their pathogens and evaluate the effect on the health status and disease profiles of present-day populations in the region.
This work has the potential to inform healthcare strategies, including pathogen surveillance and the development of vaccines, diagnostics and drugs.