Event details
When did humans leave Africa? How were the populations of today formed? How was the human genome shaped by evolutionary forces along the way?
Join the Premier’s 2024 Mid-Career Scientist of the Year, Professor Morten Allentoft (School of Molecular and Life Sciences) as he takes us on a journey through our evolution using insights gained from ancient DNA sequencing.
In this talk, he’ll present key research findings collected throughout his extraordinary career and discuss how we can utilise experiences from the ancient DNA field to study modern biodiversity – even right here in Western Australia.
If you can’t make it in person, you can join us online. Please note a link to stream the event will be sent to you via email closer to the date.
Date
Thursday 10 October 2024
Time
5.00pm – 5.30pm: Registration & light refreshments
5.30pm – 7.00pm: Formal proceedings
7.00pm – 7.30pm: Networking & light refreshments
Location
Norman Dufty Lecture Theatre
B210.102
Curtin University
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Or online
Speakers
Professor Morten Allentoft
Professor Morten Allentoft is an evolutionary biologist specializing in population genomics and ancient DNA research. He obtained a PhD from Canterbury University in 2011 and then established himself as a group leader at University of Copenhagen.
While his research in the past decade has evolved mostly around ancient humans, he has a broad interest in natural history. His publication list spans a diverse range of topics like prevalence of prehistoric plague, horse domestication, snake venom evolution, millipede speciation, amphibian conservation, megafauna extinctions, and declines in Australian marsupials.
In 2020, he was appointed a Professor in Molecular Ecology at Curtin University to lead the Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory renowned for its environmental DNA (eDNA) research. The overriding scientific aim in TrEnD is to understand patterns of past and present biodiversity with a strong emphasis on conservation.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Melinda Fitzgerald
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Melinda Fitzgerald is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Curtin University and CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia. Lindy is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, and activities to achieve the University’s strategic goals in research and IP commercialisation.
In her role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Fitzgerald has responsibility for the portfolios of Research Partnerships, the Mining Technologies and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, the Curtin University National Resilience and Security Program Office, Research Services and Systems, and Research Excellence. She manages strategic initiatives to empower Curtin University to lead research that Australia and our global partners need now and for the future.
Professor Fitzgerald also leads a team of researchers and postgraduate students in nationally coordinated research focused on understanding and preventing the loss of function that occurs following neurotrauma.
Access
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