Genetic Heritage Group

September 2023: GHG celebrated its 3rd bday

GHG at SMBE conference in Ferrara, Italy

Aashish with second batch of his graduates, Rita and Arya.

Genetic Heritage Group attending ISME conference in Lausanne, Switzerland

Aashish with first graduates (Mark Penjueli and Tsedenia Denekew) of GHG

GHG at ADNAT conference in Varanasi, India

Tsedenia Denekew presents her work at ISME 18

Ahmed Shibl presenting his work at ISME 18

Arya Gautam presents her work at ISME 18

Rita Fahmy, Capstone Student (2023) from GHG presenting her poster at NYUAD Capstone Festival

Arya Gautam, Capstone Student (2023) from GHG presenting her poster at NYUAD Capstone Festival

Genetic Heritage Group celebrated its 2nd birthday

Genetics Heritage Group celebrates 2nd birthday

Population genetics and microbiome

Our genomes, the DNA in our eukaryotic cells and our microbiomes, the prokaryotic life that coexist within us, constitute our genetic heritage. We inherited them from our parents but these elements have been with us throughout human evolution. They allow us to take a peek into our past. Who were our ancestors? What did they look like? What did they eat? How did they live? They are also tightly linked with our health and wellness. We study genomes and microbiomes to understand the history and health of humans as well as animals around us.

Heritage Research Areas

We are working on human population histories and adaptations in Himalaya, Oceania, and the Middle East. [more]
We are working on the gut and oral microbiomes of traditional and urbanizing populations in Himalaya and the Middle East to understand whether urbanization associated changes in the gut microbiota affects human health. [more]
We are working on genomics and gut microbiomes of dogs, cats, and falcons to understand their domestication histories and adaptations to diet. [more]
We analyze survey data to identify lifestyle and dietary factors that influence our health. [more]