Speaking at Precision Public Health Transdisciplinary Conference 2025
On November 19th, 2025, I’ll be co-presenting an invited talk at the Precision Public Health Transdisciplinary Conference 2025 (PPHTC2025), hosted by the Human Genetics Society of Australasia. This conference brings together researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals to explore cutting-edge advances in precision public health. The conference will focus on transdisciplinary approaches to precision public health, including genomics, data science, and population health strategies. It’s an excellent opportunity to share insights and collaborate with experts across multiple disciplines working to improve public health outcomes through precision medicine. ×
November 13, 2025
New Publication: Conserved Facultative Heterochromatin Identifies Disease Regulatory Sequences
We’re excited to share our latest research published in Nucleic Acids Research, led by Enakshi Sinniah from the Palpant Lab at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. This work introduces a novel approach to identifying regulatory sequences critical for cell identity and disease by analysing conserved patterns of facultative heterochromatin across diverse cell types. ×
November 12, 2025
New Publication: Lessons Learned - Recommendations for Reproducible Paleogenomic Data Analyses
We’re excited to share our latest perspective piece published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, offering comprehensive recommendations for ensuring reproducibility in paleogenomics research. This mansucript reflects mine and the experience of my colleagues at ACAD (Australian Centre for Ancient DNA) working in the field. The proposed ideas are aimed to address critical gaps in reporting standards for ancient DNA research. Paleogenomics has become hugely influential in understanding population history, yet its reliance on destructive sampling of finite and unique skeletal remains makes transparent reporting absolutely crucial. From our collective experience extensively interacting with other researchers in the field, we identified critical information required for reproducible research across key analytical areas.
November 5, 2025
New Publication: Genetic Transitions in the Neolithic and Bronze Age at Mas d'en Boixos (Catalonia, Spain)
We’re pleased to share new research published in iScience, led by Xavier Roca-Rada in collaboration with Daniel R. Cuesta-Aguirre, Diana C. Vinueza-Espinosa, Roberta Davidson, Shyamsundar Ravishankar, and others. This study reveals fascinating insights into genetic transitions across prehistoric Iberia through ancient DNA analysis from the Mas d’en Boixos archaeological site in Northeastern Spain. The research demonstrates remarkable genetic continuity and change spanning from the Middle Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, uncovering evidence of family relationships, ancestral origins, and social structures of these ancient populations. ×
July 18, 2025
New Publication: Five Thousand Years of Population History in Portugal
We’re excited to share our latest research published in Genome Biology, presenting the most comprehensive collection of ancient genomic data from Portugal to date. This collaborative study analysed 67 individuals spanning 5,000 years of human history, from the Neolithic to the nineteenth century, revealing dynamic patterns of migration, admixture, and genetic continuity at the westernmost edge of continental Eurasia. ×
January 15, 2025
New Publication: Filtering Out the Noise - Metagenomic Classifiers Optimize Ancient DNA Mapping
We’re thrilled to announce our new publication in Briefings in Bioinformatics, led by Shyamsundar Ravishankar. This work introduces an innovative workflow that dramatically improves ancient DNA analysis by using metagenomic classifiers to filter contaminating sequences before mapping. Our approach significantly reduces computational resources (up to 94% reduction in runtime), improves mapping precision, and makes ancient DNA analysis accessible on personal computers—not just high-performance computing clusters. ×
December 14, 2024