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Human evolution, migration and history revealed by genetics, immunity and infection

06 - 07 June 2011 09:00 - 17:00

Organised by Professor Danny Altmann, Dr Francois Balloux and Dr Rosemary Boyton

This meeting offers a journey from molecules to history, bringing together geneticists, immunologists, anthropologists and historians. Infection has been the most potent evolutionary force in human history, eliminating genes offering poor resistance and selecting for new mutations conferring protection against a threat. Can genetics help us understand natural selection, human evolution and migration over the past 70,000 years?

Download the programme here

The proceedings of this meeting have been published in an issue of Philosophical Transactions B.

Biographies and audio recordings are available below.

Organisers

  • Professor Danny Altmann, Imperial College London, UK

    Danny Altmann is Professor of Immunology in the Department of Medicine, Imperial College London and, as of 2011, Head of Pathogens, Immunity and Population Health at the Wellcome Trust. He is also Editor in Chief of Immunology.  As Head of the Human Disease Immunogenetics Group, his major research interest has been in the immunogenetics of autoimmune diseases and bacterial infections. This has in recent years included a major emphasis on T cell immunity to serious bacterial infections. Prior to joining Imperial College he was a senior scientist in the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre. 

  • Dr Francois Balloux, Imperial College London, UK and Switzerland

  • Dr Rosemary Boyton, Imperial College London, UK

    Dr Rosemary Boyton heads the Lung Immunology Group, Department of Medicine that is focused on the molecular immunology of lung disease.  Research interests include innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in the regulation of infectious and allergic lung inflammation.  She is a Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital with a specialist interest in Respiratory Infection.