Evan Irving-Pease
@evanirvingpease.bsky.social
PI at the Big Data Institute, University of Oxford
Royal Society University Research Fellow
aDNA | Complex Traits | Selection | Disease | 🇦🇺🇬🇧💀🧬🦠
Royal Society University Research Fellow
aDNA | Complex Traits | Selection | Disease | 🇦🇺🇬🇧💀🧬🦠
Pinned
Delighted to see our paper on the evolutionary history of the CCR5Δ32 deletion published this week in @cellpress.bsky.social. Work led by @ravnkirstine.bsky.social, Leonardo Cobuccio and Rasa Muktupavela, and co-supervised by me and @simorasmu.bsky.social. See 🧵 for main findings...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
The 2026 EMBL symposium 'Reconstructing the human past using ancient and modern genomics' is live with a fantastic invited speaker lineup!
Abstract deadline 9 June. If work is ongoing, plan for Heidelberg in September😉.
Organised by Maanasa Raghavan, @matejahajdi.bsky.social, Choongwon Jeong & me.
Abstract deadline 9 June. If work is ongoing, plan for Heidelberg in September😉.
Organised by Maanasa Raghavan, @matejahajdi.bsky.social, Choongwon Jeong & me.
November 19, 2025 at 1:41 PM
The 2026 EMBL symposium 'Reconstructing the human past using ancient and modern genomics' is live with a fantastic invited speaker lineup!
Abstract deadline 9 June. If work is ongoing, plan for Heidelberg in September😉.
Organised by Maanasa Raghavan, @matejahajdi.bsky.social, Choongwon Jeong & me.
Abstract deadline 9 June. If work is ongoing, plan for Heidelberg in September😉.
Organised by Maanasa Raghavan, @matejahajdi.bsky.social, Choongwon Jeong & me.
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Thrilled to finally share the magnum opus of my PhD that focuses on the genetic basis of evolutionary change! Specifically, we know we can map the genetic basis of a trait, but can we tell which genes will underlie the trait shift when it evolves? doi.org/10.1101/2025...
High-resolution mapping of a rapidly evolving complex trait reveals genotype-phenotype stability and an unpredictable genetic architecture of adaptation
The extent to which adaptation can be predicted, particularly for traits with complex genetic bases, is unknown. Here, we leveraged a model complex trait, model species, and high-powered longitudinal ...
doi.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Thrilled to finally share the magnum opus of my PhD that focuses on the genetic basis of evolutionary change! Specifically, we know we can map the genetic basis of a trait, but can we tell which genes will underlie the trait shift when it evolves? doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
🚨 New paper alert 🚨
Our research, published today in Science, reveals remarkable concordance between human and dog genomes through time, highlighting how deeply intertwined our evolutionary histories have been over the past 11,000 years.
🔗 Read the full paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our research, published today in Science, reveals remarkable concordance between human and dog genomes through time, highlighting how deeply intertwined our evolutionary histories have been over the past 11,000 years.
🔗 Read the full paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Genomic evidence for the Holocene codispersal of dogs and humans across Eastern Eurasia
As the first domestic species, dogs likely dispersed with different cultural groups during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed 73 ancient dog genomes, including 17 ...
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:48 PM
🚨 New paper alert 🚨
Our research, published today in Science, reveals remarkable concordance between human and dog genomes through time, highlighting how deeply intertwined our evolutionary histories have been over the past 11,000 years.
🔗 Read the full paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our research, published today in Science, reveals remarkable concordance between human and dog genomes through time, highlighting how deeply intertwined our evolutionary histories have been over the past 11,000 years.
🔗 Read the full paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
In the immortal words of Sir Mix-a-Lot: "And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh".
2 doggy papers are so much better than 1. Both studies a testament to slow science & international collaboration between brilliant people. What it's all about.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
2 doggy papers are so much better than 1. Both studies a testament to slow science & international collaboration between brilliant people. What it's all about.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The emergence and diversification of dog morphology
Dogs exhibit an exceptional range of morphological diversity as a result of their long-term association with humans. Attempts to identify when dog morphological variation began to expand have been con...
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:30 PM
In the immortal words of Sir Mix-a-Lot: "And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh".
2 doggy papers are so much better than 1. Both studies a testament to slow science & international collaboration between brilliant people. What it's all about.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
2 doggy papers are so much better than 1. Both studies a testament to slow science & international collaboration between brilliant people. What it's all about.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
First time on Bsky and first big announcement!
I am excited to announce that our new study explaining the missing heritability of many phenotypes using WGS data from ~347,000 UK Biobank participants has just been published in @Nature.
Our manuscript is here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....
I am excited to announce that our new study explaining the missing heritability of many phenotypes using WGS data from ~347,000 UK Biobank participants has just been published in @Nature.
Our manuscript is here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....
Estimation and mapping of the missing heritability of human phenotypes - Nature
WGS data were used from 347,630 individuals with European ancestry in the UK Biobank to obtain high-precision estimates of coding and non-coding rare variant heritability for 34 co...
www.nature.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
First time on Bsky and first big announcement!
I am excited to announce that our new study explaining the missing heritability of many phenotypes using WGS data from ~347,000 UK Biobank participants has just been published in @Nature.
Our manuscript is here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....
I am excited to announce that our new study explaining the missing heritability of many phenotypes using WGS data from ~347,000 UK Biobank participants has just been published in @Nature.
Our manuscript is here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
My first preprint of my PhD! Thanks to @ekerdoncuff.bsky.social and @moorjanipriya.bsky.social for their guidance and mentorship in this project!
Revisiting the Evolution of Lactase Persistence: Insights from South Asian Genomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.05.686799v1
November 7, 2025 at 12:28 AM
My first preprint of my PhD! Thanks to @ekerdoncuff.bsky.social and @moorjanipriya.bsky.social for their guidance and mentorship in this project!
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Paul Nurse describing the main job of a PI
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
October 31, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Paul Nurse describing the main job of a PI
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
I want to comment on a piece of research that came to my attention yesterday that I think is a reflection of endemic problems in our field. The study was published in a top-tier journal and was covered by the national press. It had a very large sample (N>30,000) and several yearly time points.
October 30, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I want to comment on a piece of research that came to my attention yesterday that I think is a reflection of endemic problems in our field. The study was published in a top-tier journal and was covered by the national press. It had a very large sample (N>30,000) and several yearly time points.
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Are you obsessed with archaeological or historical questions and easily get into coding?
Or a computational scientist that want to understand biology and disease evolution, and curious about the ancient past?
If you have these or other burning questions that fits into our programme, apply below!
Or a computational scientist that want to understand biology and disease evolution, and curious about the ancient past?
If you have these or other burning questions that fits into our programme, apply below!
PhD-opening in our ancient genomics lab this year, apply below!
We work on:
📜 Genetic history integrated with archaeology and history
📈 Natural selection and trait genetics
🐺 Evolutionary genomics of dogs and wolves
🦠 Ancient pathogen genomics
💀 Hominin evolution and ancient proteomics
We work on:
📜 Genetic history integrated with archaeology and history
📈 Natural selection and trait genetics
🐺 Evolutionary genomics of dogs and wolves
🦠 Ancient pathogen genomics
💀 Hominin evolution and ancient proteomics
Motivated graduates with backgrounds in biological or biomedical sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering and/or computer science are invited to apply to our 4-year fully funded PhD programme.
Apply by 05 November 2025
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-...
Apply by 05 November 2025
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-...
October 27, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Are you obsessed with archaeological or historical questions and easily get into coding?
Or a computational scientist that want to understand biology and disease evolution, and curious about the ancient past?
If you have these or other burning questions that fits into our programme, apply below!
Or a computational scientist that want to understand biology and disease evolution, and curious about the ancient past?
If you have these or other burning questions that fits into our programme, apply below!
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
One week left to apply!
I have funding for a 2-year dry-lab postdoc to join our team @humanevouu.bsky.social 🧪 (Deadline Oct 21st)
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
October 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
One week left to apply!
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Very happy to see our pre-print on ancient Irish goat genetics on bioRxiv #aDNA #spiergorm
I want to acknowledge this was only possible through the work of the late Dr. Judith Findlater, along with Prof. Eileen Murphy at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social.
I want to acknowledge this was only possible through the work of the late Dr. Judith Findlater, along with Prof. Eileen Murphy at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social.
Old Goats: 3,000 years of genetic connectivity of the domestic goat in Ireland
The domestic goat likely first arrived to the island of Ireland as part of the introduction of agriculture approximately 5,900 years ago, and remains a part of the island's biocultural heritage. Howev...
www.biorxiv.org
September 28, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Very happy to see our pre-print on ancient Irish goat genetics on bioRxiv #aDNA #spiergorm
I want to acknowledge this was only possible through the work of the late Dr. Judith Findlater, along with Prof. Eileen Murphy at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social.
I want to acknowledge this was only possible through the work of the late Dr. Judith Findlater, along with Prof. Eileen Murphy at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social.
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
What's that? The story of East Asian pig domestication as told through ancient DNA? Yes please! Congrats to everyone on such a fantastic and overdue story! Pigs are so great.
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
Ancient Genomics Reveals the Origin, Dispersal, and Human Management of East Asian Domestic Pigs
Abstract. Pigs are the most commercially important modern livestock animal in East Asia. Numerous aspects of their domestication history remain unclear, ho
doi.org
September 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM
What's that? The story of East Asian pig domestication as told through ancient DNA? Yes please! Congrats to everyone on such a fantastic and overdue story! Pigs are so great.
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
doi.org/10.1093/molb...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Application deadline in less than a week! Apply to join the Uppsala Human Evolution team!
We are recruiting an associate professor (senior lecturer) at our program in Human #Paleogenomics and #PopulationGenetics. Come and join the Uppsala team! Please see the ad for more information. Application deadline: Sept 30st.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Associate Professor in Human Paleo- and Population Genomics - Uppsala University
Associate Professor in Human Paleo- and Population Genomics, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Faculty of Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
September 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Application deadline in less than a week! Apply to join the Uppsala Human Evolution team!
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
I have funding for a 2-year dry-lab postdoc to join our team @humanevouu.bsky.social 🧪 (Deadline Oct 21st)
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
September 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM
I have funding for a 2-year dry-lab postdoc to join our team @humanevouu.bsky.social 🧪 (Deadline Oct 21st)
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
1/ So pleased to share our paper on genetic adaptation to micronutrients in humans! Our biggest conclusion? Trace minerals in the diet have shaped human evolution far more than previously appreciated 🧬🌍👇
www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...
www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...
https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(25)00315-5
t.co
September 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
1/ So pleased to share our paper on genetic adaptation to micronutrients in humans! Our biggest conclusion? Trace minerals in the diet have shaped human evolution far more than previously appreciated 🧬🌍👇
www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...
www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
PhD Studentship alert!
I'm looking for a motivated student to work here in Vienna @vdsee-univie.bsky.social on my ERC grant "DISPERSE". It's a fulltime scholarship (working in 14C and #archsci in Palaeolithic archaeology in Eurasia.
Details in the link below!
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...
I'm looking for a motivated student to work here in Vienna @vdsee-univie.bsky.social on my ERC grant "DISPERSE". It's a fulltime scholarship (working in 14C and #archsci in Palaeolithic archaeology in Eurasia.
Details in the link below!
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...
University assistant predoctoral 1
University assistant predoctoral 1
jobs.univie.ac.at
September 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
PhD Studentship alert!
I'm looking for a motivated student to work here in Vienna @vdsee-univie.bsky.social on my ERC grant "DISPERSE". It's a fulltime scholarship (working in 14C and #archsci in Palaeolithic archaeology in Eurasia.
Details in the link below!
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...
I'm looking for a motivated student to work here in Vienna @vdsee-univie.bsky.social on my ERC grant "DISPERSE". It's a fulltime scholarship (working in 14C and #archsci in Palaeolithic archaeology in Eurasia.
Details in the link below!
jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Announcing SimHumanity, a baseline SLiM 5.0 model of the full human genome, replete with demographic history, autosomes, X/Y, and mtDNA. A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations. We’d love your feedback! #SLiM #evolution #genomics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
SimHumanity: Using SLiM 5.0 to run whole-genome simulations of human evolution
The reconstruction of human evolutionary history has undergone repeated advances, each made possible by methodological innovations. In recent decades, genetic and genomic data played a central role in...
www.biorxiv.org
September 3, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Announcing SimHumanity, a baseline SLiM 5.0 model of the full human genome, replete with demographic history, autosomes, X/Y, and mtDNA. A shared starting point for reproducible evolutionary simulations. We’d love your feedback! #SLiM #evolution #genomics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
I will be recruiting two PhDs for my ERC Project HERDPATH - let's discover out how livestock and pathogens evolved together using #aDNA. Projects will be animal or pathogen focused but will be in dialogue.
Details at my quaint website below. Deadline 3rd October.
kevingdaly.github.io
Details at my quaint website below. Deadline 3rd October.
kevingdaly.github.io
Ruminant Palaeogenomics - Kevin G. Daly: Ruminant Palaeogenomics
kevingdaly.github.io
September 5, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I will be recruiting two PhDs for my ERC Project HERDPATH - let's discover out how livestock and pathogens evolved together using #aDNA. Projects will be animal or pathogen focused but will be in dialogue.
Details at my quaint website below. Deadline 3rd October.
kevingdaly.github.io
Details at my quaint website below. Deadline 3rd October.
kevingdaly.github.io
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Excited to say we’re hiring 😊. We’re looking for a post-doc in ancient pathogen genomics to join our friendly supportive team in London at @ugiatucl.bsky.social. Start date January 2026.
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
September 1, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Excited to say we’re hiring 😊. We’re looking for a post-doc in ancient pathogen genomics to join our friendly supportive team in London at @ugiatucl.bsky.social. Start date January 2026.
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
I wrote about gene-gene interactions (epistasis) and the implications for heritability, trait definitions, natural selection, and therapeutic interventions. Biology is clearly full of causal interactions, so why don't we see them in the data? A 🧵:
Beneath the surface of the sum
When genetic interactions matter and when they don't
open.substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I wrote about gene-gene interactions (epistasis) and the implications for heritability, trait definitions, natural selection, and therapeutic interventions. Biology is clearly full of causal interactions, so why don't we see them in the data? A 🧵:
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Are you interested in doing a PhD in Copenhagen? Interested in studying Neanderthals and Denisovans which live on in our genomes?
Than you are more than welcome to apply to join my group starting Jan 2026 :)
candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Than you are more than welcome to apply to join my group starting Jan 2026 :)
candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...
Please reach out if you have any questions!
August 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Are you interested in doing a PhD in Copenhagen? Interested in studying Neanderthals and Denisovans which live on in our genomes?
Than you are more than welcome to apply to join my group starting Jan 2026 :)
candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Than you are more than welcome to apply to join my group starting Jan 2026 :)
candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Shameless promotion from #isba11 - I'll be hiring PhDs to start early 2026 (plus postdocs starting later), using #adna to study livestock and pathogen coevolution, particularly looking at inbreeding and immune gene evolution!
Contact me at kevin[at]palaeome.org, full ad to come. Please share!
Contact me at kevin[at]palaeome.org, full ad to come. Please share!
August 27, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
I'm often asked how human genetic data can be used to validate drug targets.
In our new @natcardiovascres.nature.com paper, we provide an end-to-end framework for genetically validating IL-6 inhibition for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease outcomes 🧵
In our new @natcardiovascres.nature.com paper, we provide an end-to-end framework for genetically validating IL-6 inhibition for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease outcomes 🧵
August 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I'm often asked how human genetic data can be used to validate drug targets.
In our new @natcardiovascres.nature.com paper, we provide an end-to-end framework for genetically validating IL-6 inhibition for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease outcomes 🧵
In our new @natcardiovascres.nature.com paper, we provide an end-to-end framework for genetically validating IL-6 inhibition for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease outcomes 🧵
Reposted by Evan Irving-Pease
Our paper on the evolution of MUC19 in humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans is finally out today in Science!
This has been a six-year effort by 13 authors to weave together 3 separate but related evolutionary stories around this one gene (more on thread 🧵).
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
This has been a six-year effort by 13 authors to weave together 3 separate but related evolutionary stories around this one gene (more on thread 🧵).
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The MUC19 gene: An evolutionary history of recurrent introgression and natural selection
We study the gene MUC19, for which some modern humans carry a Denisovan-like haplotype. MUC19 is a mucin, a glycoprotein that forms gels with various biological functions. We find diagnostic variants ...
www.science.org
August 21, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Our paper on the evolution of MUC19 in humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans is finally out today in Science!
This has been a six-year effort by 13 authors to weave together 3 separate but related evolutionary stories around this one gene (more on thread 🧵).
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
This has been a six-year effort by 13 authors to weave together 3 separate but related evolutionary stories around this one gene (more on thread 🧵).
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...