Diyendo Massilani

Assistant Professor of Genetics

Principal Investigator

eMail | Yale | ORCID | X 

Human Evolutionary Trajectories with Ancient DNA

I use ancient DNA (aDNA) to explore the temporal changes of human genomic variations and understand how they are influenced by population migrations, intermixing and adaption.

My goal is to provide insights into past human demographics and environmental contexts that influenced the prevalence and functional significance of genomic variants.

As a principal investigator, I am leading projects that combine aDNA and evolutionary genomic analyses to revolutionize our understanding of human evolutionary trajectory.

I am focused on developing methods to extract aDNA on an unprecedented scale from ancient materials like skeletal remains and archaeological sediments worldwide, with particular emphasis on understudied regions such as Eastern Eurasia and Africa.

By systematically linking ancient human populations to specific times, places, and environments, I aim to illuminate the evolutionary history of humans and its relevance to health and adaptation to local environment.