Graduate School of health and Medical Sciences

Decoding the past: an introduction to ancient DNA genomics and its applications
Provider: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Activity no.: 3685-25-00-00	There are 19 available seats
	Enrollment deadline: 13/07/2025

Date and time	11.08.2025, at: 09:00 - 15.08.2025, at: 17:00
Regular seats	20
Course fee	7,200.00 kr.
Lecturers	Hannes Schroeder
ECTS credits	3.90

Contact person	Oliver Tafdrup E-mail address: gi-administration@sund.ku.dk

Enrolment Handling/Course Organiser	PhD administration E-mail address: phdkursus@sund.ku.dk

Aim and content This course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee. Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list. Learning objectives A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to: 1. Describe major milestones in the development of the field of ancient DNA. 2. Understand the underlying principles and ethical implications of using ancient DNA to study species evolution. 3. Analyse and authenticate sequencing data retrieved from archaeological, paleontological and museum material. 4. Understand how to apply state-of-the-art computational methods to ancient genomes to answer evolutionary questions. 5. Critically assess the results obtained from the analysis of ancient DNA data. Content Ancient DNA has revolutionised our understanding of the past by providing a deep time perspective on questions about human evolution, population dynamics, adaptation to changing environments, domestication and the spread of past epidemics. However, working with ancient DNA presents significant challenges, from financial and logistical constraints to the complexities of laboratory work and data analysis. This intensive 5-day course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of ancient DNA, covering both its historical development and its current applications in human evolution, plant and animal domestication, conservation genomics, and disease dynamics. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises, students will gain experience working with ancient DNA genomic datasets and performing fundamental analyses (authentication of ancient DNA, contamination, and identification), basic exploratory analyses (ancestry inference and admixture testing), and advanced analytical methods (haplotype reconstruction, fine-scale population structure and selection). Research talks strategically placed throughout the course will cover current applications to the fields of human evolution, human-pathogen interactions, domestication and conservation genomics. Participants The course is primarily aimed at students in biology, archaeology, bioinformatics, medicine and related fields who would like to learn about ancient DNA and its applications in the study of evolutionary biology and ecology, as well as to analyse ancient DNA sequencing data. Requirements • Basic knowledge on linux command line and bash scripting. We will be holding an optional UNIX Basics session on Friday August 8th to be held locally and over zoom. If you are a UNIX beginner, you are strongly encouraged to attend this session. • All participants must have a personal laptop with internet connection. Relevance to graduate programmes The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH: Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Oral Sciences, Forensic Medicine and Bioanthropology Language English Form Lectures, group work, computer exercises Course director Hannes Schroeder, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, hschroeder@sund.ku.dk Jazmín Ramos Madrigal, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, jazmin.madrigal@sund.ku.dk Teachers Jazmín Ramos Madrigal, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, jazmin.madrigal@sund.ku.dk Hannes Schroeder, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, hschroeder@sund.ku.dk José Victor Moreno-Mayar, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, morenomayar@sund.ku.dk Special topic lectures Will Barrie, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Cambridge Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas, Associate Professor, University of Lausanne Dates 11-15 August 2025 Course location Globe Institute, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen Registration Please register before 13 of July 2025 Expected frequency This course will take place every year Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules. Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment. Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.

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