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What’s on at ICP2026 this week
For many at the Jakobsson Lab (if not all), the summer starts with the International Paleogenomics Conference in Stockholm, 23-26 June. On Tuesday, Mattias delivered a keynote on The unique genomics of ancient southern Africans. In the afternoon, Nik gave a talk on Local hunter-gatherer legacies in Neolithic Iberian genomes (4300-1700 yrs BCE). We are…
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Tan Xujie’s research training completed
Tan’s research training, supervised by Per Sjödin, has come to an end prior to the start of studies towards a Master’s degree. Tan presented the results of his work on “Differences in Mutation Spectrum Across Human Populations”, focusing on mutation drivers and methods, at last week’s group meeting. Thanks for your contribution to the team…
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Mariam receives funds to work on the Zdansky collection
Mariam is a successful awardee of a Uppsala University R Sernanders stipendiestiftelse scholarship (https://uaf.se/en/find-scholarships/our-foundations/r-sernanders-stipendiestiftelse/). The goal to directly advance the Foundation’s objectives in Quaternary geology and the history of fauna will be achieved by utilising soil genetics to analyse the sedimentary matrix of the Zdansky collection. Congratulations, Mariam!
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Louise successfully defends her Master’s thesis
Louise Olsson has completed her Master’s degree programme in biology, and successfully defended her thesis, entitled Genomic History of Northwestern Africa since the Iron Age, on Tuesday, 2 June. We all join the supervisor, Luciana Simões, in congratulations! The project summary can be found in another news item:
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Animals in indigenous mortuary practices and traditions
Rita Peyroteo-Stjerna has participated in the workshop: The Archaeology of Animal Handling in Mortuary Practices in the Circumpolar North and Arctic in (Pre)historic Time, organised by Markus Fjellström (SU), Astrid A. Noterman (SU and UU), and Ingrid Sommerseth (The Arctic University Museum of Norway) in Tromsø, Norway, 18-20 May 2026. Aim and background In the…
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Lydia Furness joins the lab as a postdoctoral researcher in interdisciplinary genetics
“My research background lies at the intersection of archaeology, evolutionary anthropology, and biomolecular science. I trained initially as an archaeologist at the University of Liverpool, specialising in archaeological science and early human evolution, which provided a strong foundation in archaeological practice, material analysis, and the ethical dimensions of working with human remains and cultural heritage.”…
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Surprising discovery in prehistoric DNA – traced to our kidneys
Latest research results from Mattias Jakobsson and his colleagues at the Human Evolution Program were featured on local TV (18 Apr 2026). By examining DNA from thousands of years-old bone fragments, researchers have found genetic changes that were present in prehistoric humans – and in us today. The researchers also made a surprising discovery: several…
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Short report from ProbGen 2026
Mark Chernyshev attended the Probabilistic Modelling in Genomics conference in Berkeley, California, 25-28 March 2026 (ProbGen2026). The conference attracted around 1000 participants, and approximately 300 posters were displayed and discussed. Mark presented some of his research in the poster: Detecting Sapiens-Specific Selective Sweeps by Leveraging Deep Divergence and Machine Learning. Abstract Identifying the selective pressures…
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Researcher profile: Mattias Jakobsson
Sometimes we know little about the people we work closely with. Uppsala University has recently published a researcher profile about the head of the Jakobsson Lab. Mattias’ research casts new light on human prehistory. “When you’re allowed to think freely, brainstorm and speculate. And the unknown, when we discover completely different things than what we…
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Mark Chernyshev invited to attend 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
“I’ve always believed that transformative research happens at the intersection of fields, so I am particularly thrilled to announce I have been selected to attend the interdisciplinary 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting!I’m looking forward to this rare opportunity to exchange ideas with young scientists and laureates across all Nobel disciplines.” This interdisciplinary event will take…
