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The Human Evolutionary and Population Genomics lab was established in Mexico back in 2015 and its primary research focus is human diversity and population genetics, applying genomic and computational tools to answer questions about human evolution, with particular interest in populations from the Americas and the Pacific.

Our work spans population structure, demographic inference, selection, adaptive evolution, and the functional and biomedical implications of human genetic variation.

Research Areas

Population Genomics

We investigate patterns of genetic diversity, ancestry, and demographic history to understand population structure and its implications for health and disease.

Medical Genomics

The Mexican Biobank’s genomic data is used to conduct GWAS studies, linking genotypes to phenotypes and characterizing genetic disease risks in order to develop more targeted health strategies for the Mexican population.

Epigenetic landscape in Latin America

This project expands the LatinGenomes initiative to build a comprehensive DNA methylation atlas for Latin America’s genetically diverse populations, addressing the gap left by European-centric epigenetic research.

Human Evolution and Adaptation

This research investigates natural selection’s influence on genetic variation across Latin American and Oceanian populations by combining multiple genomic methods to uncover adaptive signatures and their biological, environmental, and clinical relevance in historically underrepresented groups.

Ancient DNA in Mesoamerica

Using ancient DNA from key Mesoamerican sites, this research combines genomics, archaeology, and anthropology to reconstruct pre-Hispanic population history, social organization, and kinship systems, while maintaining close collaboration with local communities and Mexican cultural authorities.

Learn more about our research →

Funding & Collaborations

Our research is supported by international and national funding agencies and conducted in collaboration with academic and clinical partners.