Lucy van Dorp
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Group Leader in Microbial Genomics at UCL Genetics Institute @ugiatucl.bsky.social.
Reconstructing the evolution of us and our pathogens past, present and future using large-scale genomics.
ucl.ac.uk/~ucbpvan
- There's still a few days left to apply for our AI-Intervene PhD project mapping the drivers of avian influenza using viral genomics, bird migration data and AI-powered phylodynamics. Come join us! Details below. #FindaPhD #LondonPhD #genomics
- We’re recruiting a PhD student as part of the AI-Intervene DTP to join FlightPath, an exciting project combining viral genomics, bird migration data, and AI-powered phylodynamics to forecast how avian influenza evolves and spreads. Project Details 🦠🧬🦅🦆🌎: tinyurl.com/2v4xaxmx.
- Reposted by Lucy van Dorp"These viruses have been co-evolving with human populations for well over 2,000 years, underscoring a deep, ongoing shared history between virus and host”: Dr @lucyvandorp.bsky.social on her ancient DNA analysis of human herpes viruses @ugiatucl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
- Reposted by Lucy van Dorpwww.science.org/doi/10.1126/... It's finally out! Meriam Guellil expertly led this project from the first HHV6 detection to the final paper. We found both human herpesviruses 6A and 6B in ancient remains going back 2500 years.
- New paper out in Science Advances: Tracing 2500 years of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B diversity through ancient DNA 👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Through screening of ~4,000 archaeological human samples, this work reconstructed 11 ancient genomes of HHV-6A and HHV-6B. These viruses still infect many of us today.
- Ancient genomes show that these viruses have been co-evolving with human populations across Europe, dating from early Italy to medieval England, Belgium, and Russia; underscoring a deep, ongoing host-virus history.
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View full threadThis work is likely just the start of better understanding the deep history and spatio-temporal dynamics of these importance viruses. Great to play a role in this work, led from initial screening to final paper by Meriam Guellil @univie.ac.at.
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpReconstructing the histories of ancient pathogens with @poojaswali.bsky.social of @ugiatucl.bsky.social at the @lien-london.bsky.social meeting. Makes me want to learn every one of these stories!
- We’re recruiting a PhD student as part of the AI-Intervene DTP to join FlightPath, an exciting project combining viral genomics, bird migration data, and AI-powered phylodynamics to forecast how avian influenza evolves and spreads. Project Details 🦠🧬🦅🦆🌎: tinyurl.com/2v4xaxmx.
- Learn more about the AI-INTERVENE programme 👉 www.ai-intervene.net. We're a supportive friendly group @ugiatucl.bsky.social looking for candidates with an interest in AI, ecology, infectious disease genomics, or data science who want to tackle questions in #OneHealth and biodiversity research.
- Feel free to share or reach out with questions! Deadline: 12th Jan 2026 #FindaPhD #LondonPhD #PhD #AI #Bioinformatics #Ecology #AvianInfluenza #MachineLearning #OneHealth #AIINTERVENE
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpPhD candidate Cedric Tan from @ucl.ac.uk @ugiatucl.bsky.social is exploring how pathogens and antimicrobial resistance jump between species, supported by a scholarship from A*STAR Singapore and @astar-gis.bsky.social. #UCLSingapore #UCLHealth www.ucl.ac.uk/global/case-...
- We are recruiting! If you like evolutionary biology, microbial genomics, and host-pathogen interactions we have a PhD opening at @ugiatucl.bsky.social using population-scale metagenomics to map global phage diversity and uncover evolutionary signatures that could point to new antimicrobials.
- This project is part of the excellent @ucl.ac.uk Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineering Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance. Funding is open to both UK and international students. Deadline: 12 January 2026.
- Project Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project.... Doctoral Training Programme: www.ucl.ac.uk/mathematical....
- We're a small friendly team excited by how we can use large spatio-temporal genetic datasets to map the drivers of (host)pathogen success. Please get in touch if you have questions! #PhD #AMR #genomics #findaPhD #LondonPhD
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpThe 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.
- A fantastic day of talks and discussions. Thanks to the organisers and @gensocuk.bsky.social
- Wonderful and engaging talk by @lucyvandorp.bsky.social who was invited to speak on the drivers of pathogen evolution using ancient DNA at the Ancient Genomes: Perspectives on Human Biology and Medicine meeting @gensocuk.bsky.social 🧬🦠
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpGreat to have Dr Hrushikesh Loya give a fantastic talk on his tool Ghostbusters: A Genome-Wide Genealogical Approach to Uncovering Hidden Admixture Events in Human Evolution 👻
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpI am fascinated by how viruses evolve - and not just since #SARSCoV2 has shown us at the global stage how consequential virus evolution can be for us. In my new story in @science.org I got to explore how researchers are probing deeper into the past with old RNA virus genome. So a 🧪 thread…
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpPooja Swali @poojaswali.bsky.social presenting her very interesting work on ancient pathogens. @ugiatucl.bsky.social
- 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/...
- If you like generating genomic data from unusual medical samples, past and contemporary epidemiology and advancing methods in phylo/population genetics please get in touch. Group website: www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucbpvan/ Closing date Sept 25th 2025. #aDNA #microbialgenomics #ISBA #popgen #UCL
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpNew preprint from UGI PhD student @cednotsed.bsky.social , @proffballoux.bsky.social and @lucyvandorp.bsky.social, exploring the microbial and antimicrobial resistance signatures of hospital-acquired pneumonia using nanopore metagenomic sequencing (www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...).
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpNot long left to submit your abstract! Deadline is 31 July. Join us in November for the Ancient Genomes meeting and hear from amazing speakers including: @mathiesoniain.bsky.social, @lquintanamurci.bsky.social & @lucyvandorp.bsky.social! genetics.org.uk/events/ancie...
- Reposted by Lucy van Dorp@cednotsed.bsky.social presenting at #SMEB2025 on his work on predicting the fitness of mutations in SARS-CoV-2. Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpAnd UGI PhD student Cedric Tan presenting in symposium 21 @official-smbe.bsky.social #SMBE2025 on his work "Intrahost dynamics, together with genetic and phenotypic effects predict the success of viral mutations".
- Reposted by Lucy van Dorp✨🧬 Sharing our UCL Genetics Institute starter pack of researchers, friends and alumni past and present 🧬 ✨ #UGISKY (DM us to be added) go.bsky.app/Gw1NqRaat://did:plc:r6pgyaljsnlqzed2kbkg6ux4/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3lsverjl26424
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpWe’ve got some good news! The deadline to submit abstracts for our “Ancient #Genomes: Perspectives on Human Biology and Medicine” meeting has been extended to 31 July 2025. So if you were thinking about submitting, there’s still plenty of time! genetics.org.uk/events/ancie...
- Reposted by Lucy van DorpThrilled to share our latest preprint! 🎉🔥 We analysed >23k mtDNA genomes & found 18 variants shaped by climate—linked to thermogenesis, metabolism & disease. Led by PhD student Finley Grover-Thomas, and in collab with: @aidaandres.bsky.social @lucyvandorp.bsky.social @proffballoux.bsky.social
