Research at the Intersection of Genomics and History
Currently a Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Audrey Lin specializes in ancient DNA research. She earned her doctorate in Zoology at the University of Oxford, where she applied bioinformatic methods to investigate genome evolution, exploring its effects on molecular rates, demographic dynamics, and physiological and functional change over time.
Her research is at the forefront of genomic studies using historic museum collections, including pioneering efforts to recover ancient RNA from preserved specimens. Lin’s expertise extends beyond human genetics: she has conducted significant work on DNA from non-human taxa such as domesticated animals and cultivated plants. In addition, her collaborations with Native American and First Nations communities and her innovative RNA studies provide new perspectives on early human–animal interactions and the evolution of ancient pathogens. For the APART-USA Fellowship she will join Benjamin Vernot at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology.
Four years of support
The APART-USA fellowships run for 48 months and are endowed with €500,000 per researcher. In total, 25 scientists are moving their research to Austria, six of them to the University of Vienna. A full list of fellows is available in the official ÖAW press release.
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