About us
We have a broad interest in population genetics, human evolution and human history.
In particular, our research focuses on understanding population history and human evolution using genetic information from both recent and ancient individuals, developing population genetic theory and statistical methods for analyzing large-scale genomic data, and search for genomic regions targeted by selection at various time-points in human history.
We combine approaches of theoretical population genetics, computational biology, statistical genetics, advanced molecular genetics and ancient DNA. Also, we analyze the population-genomic information from current-day individuals and ancient human remains to gain access to information about human past that was previously hidden.
A great part of our research contributed to the ATLAS project.
The History
2008
The lab was founded at Uppsala University by Assistant Professor Mattias Jakobsson, who just finished his Post-doc at the University of Michigan, USA. Focus on theoretical approaches addressing human evolution.
2009
The first PhD students were recruited
2010
The first expansion phase:
three PhD students and two Postdocs joined the team.
2011
A new research avenue was paved
by incorporating ancient DNA studies into
the scope of the group.
Empirical data
from ancient remains
becomes a pivotal asset now.
2012
Mattias was awarded an ERC Starting grant.
Dr. Li, the 1st PhD student of the group, successfully defended his thesis.
2013
The ATLAS project is funded. A collaborative effort of researchers from
the universities of Uppsala and Stockholm that produced genomes from ancient humans within modern-day Sweden.
Mattias selected the Wallenberg Academy Fellow and received the Swedish Research Council grant for Distinguished Young Researchers.
These grants allowed the group to expand.
Dr. Skoglund successfully defended his PhD.
2014
Mattias became appointed a full Professor of Genetics at Uppsala University. Carina Schlebusch received a Young Investigator grant from the Swedish Research Council (VR).
2015
Jakobsson Lab becomes a group of 25 researchers at both junior and senior levels and Phd- and Master students and technical staff. Two group members successfully defended their PhDs this year (Drs. Gattepaille & Sjöstrand).
Mattias received the Göran Gustavsson Prize.
2016
Relocation to new offices and a new Ancient DNA laboratory at the Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University.