Prof. Dr. Dr. Verena Schünemann

The Paleogenetics Group led by Prof. Verena Schünemann investigates the evolution of human health, focusing on the evolution of pathogens and microbiomes through time. The group aims to gain new insights into host-pathogen interactions in the past, and to trace the evolutionary history of human pathogens.

By combining cutting-edge ancient DNA techniques with Next Generation Sequencing, the Paleogenetics Group recovers and analyses DNA from a wide range of ancient and modern samples to better understand how humans have adapted to changes in environment, diet and pathogens. These ancient pathogen genomics studies allow the identification of causative agents of past pandemics, contributing to the reconstruction of the origin and evolution of important human infectious diseases.