Identifying population gene signals of adaptation
Official title: Identifying complex modes of adaptation from population-genomic data
Funded at Florida Atlantic University · NIH-11333056 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing easy-to-use statistical methods to find regions in the genome that helped populations adapt over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Atlantic University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boca Raton, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2019 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $374,872 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM128590-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333056 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals or populations with existing genomic data and a need to study how selection shaped their genetic variation.
✕Less likely to help
People without access to genomic data or those not involved in such datasets may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses inexpensive DNA sequencing data to spot where natural selection increased beneficial variants or maintained diversity. It creates new statistical tools that account for multiple forces shaping genetic variation, including haplotype patterns, ancient balancing selection, and adaptive introgression. The work is grounded in real human and animal data, with findings already hinting at convergent selection in different populations and adaptations in rats related to their behavior. The results could help us understand how evolution shapes traits that influence health and disease risk in populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the methods could improve our understanding of how genetic variation relates to health, behavior, and disease risk across populations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has produced new methods and shown interesting evolutionary patterns in humans and animals, supporting the approach’s potential.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Degiorgio, Michael — Florida Atlantic University
- Study coordinator: Degiorgio, Michael
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.