WELCOME

We are devoted to the study of theoretical population genetics. The goal of population genetics is to identify and understand the forces that produce and maintain genetic variation in natural populations. These forces include mutation (also recombination and gene conversion), natural selection, various kinds of population structure (e.g. subdivision with migration), and the random fluctuations of gene frequencies through time known as genetic drift. We study these forces mathematically, using both analysis and computation. We also develop statistical methods to make inferences about these forces from DNA sequences or other kinds of genetic data. For more information about specific areas of research, follow the leads to lab members. Please note that I am not accepting new graduate students for AY 2023-2024.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Harney É, Patterson N, Reich D, Wakeley J. Assessing the performance of qpAdm: a statistical tool for studying population admixture. Genetics. 2021;iyaa045.Abstract
qpAdm is a statistical tool for studying the ancestry of populations with histories that involve admixture between two or more source populations. Using qpAdm, it is possible to identify plausible models of admixture that fit the population history of a group of interest and to calculate the relative proportion of ancestry that can be ascribed to each source population in the model. Although qpAdm is widely used in studies of population history of human (and nonhuman) groups, relatively little has been done to assess its performance. We performed a simulation study to assess the behavior of qpAdm under various scenarios in order to identify areas of potential weakness and establish recommended best practices for use. We find that qpAdm is a robust tool that yields accurate results in many cases, including when data coverage is low, there are high rates of missing data or ancient DNA damage, or when diploid calls cannot be made. However, we caution against co-analyzing ancient and present-day data, the inclusion of an extremely large number of reference populations in a single model, and analyzing population histories involving extended periods of gene flow. We provide a user guide suggesting best practices for the use of qpAdm.