Laura Vilà Valls
@lvilavalls.bsky.social
Predoctoral researcher at IBE-UPF Barcelona | Biologist & Bioinformatician | Working on human population genetics 🧬
she/her
she/her
Pinned
Sudan's complex genetic admixture history drives adaptation to malaria in Sudanese Copts https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.01.25334828v1
Excited to share our new preprint🙌
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Jasmin Rees PhD chapter as a paper just out at the AJHG @ajhgnews.bsky.social, with Sergi Castellano, who first envisioned the study. Jas investigated signatures of human local genetic adaptation in hundreds of micronutrient-associated genes.
📣New from @aidaandres.bsky.social & co
📄Global impact of micronutrients in modern human evolution
📄Global impact of micronutrients in modern human evolution
Global impact of micronutrients in modern human evolution
In this study, Rees et al. evaluate the role of dietary micronutrients in driving
local genetic adaptation and population differentiation in humans. The authors find
evidence that micronutrient-associ...
www.cell.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Jasmin Rees PhD chapter as a paper just out at the AJHG @ajhgnews.bsky.social, with Sergi Castellano, who first envisioned the study. Jas investigated signatures of human local genetic adaptation in hundreds of micronutrient-associated genes.
Excited to share our new preprint🙌
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
Sudan's complex genetic admixture history drives adaptation to malaria in Sudanese Copts https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.01.25334828v1
September 3, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Excited to share our new preprint🙌
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
It's the first human WGS study in Sudan. We uncover one of the strongest selection signals to date, pointing to post-admixture adaptation to malaria in Copts. Huge thanks to all co-authors. @aidaandres.bsky.social @jgarcia-cal.bsky.social @ebosch1972.bsky.social
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
✅ Published in @natureportfolio.nature.com today, the paper describing the initial whole-genome sequencing analysis of 500,000 UK Biobank participants.
Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Whole-genome sequencing of 490,640 UK Biobank participants - Nature
A study reports whole-genome sequences for 490,640 participants from the UK Biobank and combines these data with phenotypic data to provide new insights into the relationship between human variation a...
www.nature.com
August 6, 2025 at 3:17 PM
✅ Published in @natureportfolio.nature.com today, the paper describing the initial whole-genome sequencing analysis of 500,000 UK Biobank participants.
Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
🚨 New paper klaxon! 🚨
The History of the Panmictic Population Concept and Its Legacy in Contemporary Population Genetics
Quite niche admittedly, one for the historians of evolutionary thought, and population geneticists.
doi.org/10.1111/ahg....
The History of the Panmictic Population Concept and Its Legacy in Contemporary Population Genetics
Quite niche admittedly, one for the historians of evolutionary thought, and population geneticists.
doi.org/10.1111/ahg....
The History of the Panmictic Population Concept and Its Legacy in Contemporary Population Genetics
ABSTRACT The panmictic population concept is at the heart of population, evolutionary and conservation genetics. However, in nature, true panmictic populations are vanishingly rare. As an idea conce...
doi.org
July 28, 2025 at 12:54 PM
🚨 New paper klaxon! 🚨
The History of the Panmictic Population Concept and Its Legacy in Contemporary Population Genetics
Quite niche admittedly, one for the historians of evolutionary thought, and population geneticists.
doi.org/10.1111/ahg....
The History of the Panmictic Population Concept and Its Legacy in Contemporary Population Genetics
Quite niche admittedly, one for the historians of evolutionary thought, and population geneticists.
doi.org/10.1111/ahg....
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
I'm thrilled to announce that our featured article, "Herders from the Green Sahara", was published in the 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 magazine. Another great collaboration with Viktor Černý and Carina Schlebusch.
Free access here: livejohnshopkins-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/person...
Free access here: livejohnshopkins-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/person...
July 21, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I'm thrilled to announce that our featured article, "Herders from the Green Sahara", was published in the 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 magazine. Another great collaboration with Viktor Černý and Carina Schlebusch.
Free access here: livejohnshopkins-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/person...
Free access here: livejohnshopkins-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/person...
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Check out our recent review 'Power and Limitations of Inferring Genetic Ancestry'- what do we even mean by the term 'genetic ancestry' and what do commonly-used methods actually tell us?
An Early View: Dr @nancybird1.bsky.social , Prof @turiking.bsky.social, & Prof Hellenthal examine the methodological advances and interpretive limits of genetic ancestry inference. The authors emphasize the need for a stronger focus on conveying uncertainty to mitigate risks of over-interpretation.
Power and Limitations of Inferring Genetic Ancestry
Background The recent emergence of technologies that capture and analyse genetic variation patterns obtained from a person's DNA sample has led to numerous academic and commercial endeavours to infe...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 26, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Check out our recent review 'Power and Limitations of Inferring Genetic Ancestry'- what do we even mean by the term 'genetic ancestry' and what do commonly-used methods actually tell us?
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Postdoc position in my group in Tokyo!
Please get in touch if you are interested.
And happy to discuss projects - these would range from developing new methods to analysis of new genomes that we are now sequencing in the lab.
Job Ad: www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...
Lab page: speidellab.github.io
Please get in touch if you are interested.
And happy to discuss projects - these would range from developing new methods to analysis of new genomes that we are now sequencing in the lab.
Job Ad: www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...
Lab page: speidellab.github.io
Seeking a few Postdoctoral Researchers at Mathematical Genomics RIKEN ECL Research Unit (25-695)
www.riken.jp
June 25, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Postdoc position in my group in Tokyo!
Please get in touch if you are interested.
And happy to discuss projects - these would range from developing new methods to analysis of new genomes that we are now sequencing in the lab.
Job Ad: www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...
Lab page: speidellab.github.io
Please get in touch if you are interested.
And happy to discuss projects - these would range from developing new methods to analysis of new genomes that we are now sequencing in the lab.
Job Ad: www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...
Lab page: speidellab.github.io
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Recognition for #IBE PhD Students in 2025🏆🤩
Alba Nieto and Gemma Martínez received the SMBE Graduate Student Excellence Award, while Laura Vilà won third prize in UPF #Rin4min — where Marina Carmona was selected as a finalist!
👉https://shorturl.at/FT9Rl
Alba Nieto and Gemma Martínez received the SMBE Graduate Student Excellence Award, while Laura Vilà won third prize in UPF #Rin4min — where Marina Carmona was selected as a finalist!
👉https://shorturl.at/FT9Rl
June 6, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Recognition for #IBE PhD Students in 2025🏆🤩
Alba Nieto and Gemma Martínez received the SMBE Graduate Student Excellence Award, while Laura Vilà won third prize in UPF #Rin4min — where Marina Carmona was selected as a finalist!
👉https://shorturl.at/FT9Rl
Alba Nieto and Gemma Martínez received the SMBE Graduate Student Excellence Award, while Laura Vilà won third prize in UPF #Rin4min — where Marina Carmona was selected as a finalist!
👉https://shorturl.at/FT9Rl
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Thrilled 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
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
Climate associated natural selection in the human mitochondrial genome https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.23.655374v1
May 28, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Thrilled 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
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
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
🚨 Our new paper is out in Science!
We analyzed 2,723 high-coverage whole genomes from Brazilians to explore how five centuries of colonization, forced migration, and admixture have shaped genetic diversity and impacted health.
📄 science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
We analyzed 2,723 high-coverage whole genomes from Brazilians to explore how five centuries of colonization, forced migration, and admixture have shaped genetic diversity and impacted health.
📄 science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health
Brazil, the largest Latin American country, is underrepresented in genomic research despite boasting the world’s largest recently admixed population. In this study, we generated 2723 high-coverage who...
science.org
May 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM
🚨 Our new paper is out in Science!
We analyzed 2,723 high-coverage whole genomes from Brazilians to explore how five centuries of colonization, forced migration, and admixture have shaped genetic diversity and impacted health.
📄 science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
We analyzed 2,723 high-coverage whole genomes from Brazilians to explore how five centuries of colonization, forced migration, and admixture have shaped genetic diversity and impacted health.
📄 science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵👇
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Very proud of my colleagues and friends for their amazing publication out in Science today!
Nunes et al. "Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@hunemeier.bsky.social @macscastro.bsky.social 👏
Nunes et al. "Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@hunemeier.bsky.social @macscastro.bsky.social 👏
Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health
Brazil, the largest Latin American country, is underrepresented in genomic research despite boasting the world’s largest recently admixed population. In this study, we generated 2723 high-coverage who...
www.science.org
May 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Very proud of my colleagues and friends for their amazing publication out in Science today!
Nunes et al. "Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@hunemeier.bsky.social @macscastro.bsky.social 👏
Nunes et al. "Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@hunemeier.bsky.social @macscastro.bsky.social 👏
Molt contenta d'haver compartit la meva recerca al #Rin4Min i de tenir l'oportunitat de divulgar en català. 🎉
El quart premi ha sigut per Laura Vilà, estudiant de doctorat de Biomedicina, que ha explicat "La protecció genètica contra la malària: demografia i adaptació" en 4 minuts al #Rin4Min.
May 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Molt contenta d'haver compartit la meva recerca al #Rin4Min i de tenir l'oportunitat de divulgar en català. 🎉
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
I am delighted to share with you some new insights into the selection processes that shaped the Spanish population!
This work has been led by @ebosch1972.bsky.social @francesccalafell.bsky.social ( @upf.edu ) in collaboration with Rafael de Cid ( @igtp.bsky.social ) and @sabiagini.bsky.social
⬇️⬇️⬇️
This work has been led by @ebosch1972.bsky.social @francesccalafell.bsky.social ( @upf.edu ) in collaboration with Rafael de Cid ( @igtp.bsky.social ) and @sabiagini.bsky.social
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Inferring past demography and genetic adaptation in Spain using the GCAT cohort - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Inferring past demography and genetic adaptation in Spain using the GCAT cohort
www.nature.com
April 24, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I am delighted to share with you some new insights into the selection processes that shaped the Spanish population!
This work has been led by @ebosch1972.bsky.social @francesccalafell.bsky.social ( @upf.edu ) in collaboration with Rafael de Cid ( @igtp.bsky.social ) and @sabiagini.bsky.social
⬇️⬇️⬇️
This work has been led by @ebosch1972.bsky.social @francesccalafell.bsky.social ( @upf.edu ) in collaboration with Rafael de Cid ( @igtp.bsky.social ) and @sabiagini.bsky.social
⬇️⬇️⬇️
If you're interested in human popgen🧬, our lab (with Prof. David Comas) is looking for an undergrad/master student for a JAE Intro fellowship 👉 @csic.es @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/pro...
Convocatoria JAE INTRO 2025 | Sede CSIC
Becas de introducción a la investigación para estudiantes universitarios.
sede.csic.gob.es
April 16, 2025 at 2:27 PM
If you're interested in human popgen🧬, our lab (with Prof. David Comas) is looking for an undergrad/master student for a JAE Intro fellowship 👉 @csic.es @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/pro...
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
I'm beyond excited to share our new paper in Nature! We sequenced the first ancient human autosomal genomes from the Central Sahara, two ~7,000-year-old individuals from Takarkori in Libya, revealing a long-isolated North African lineage: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here's a short thread: (1/n)
Here's a short thread: (1/n)
Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara reveals ancestral North African lineage - Nature
Pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into the Green Sahara, where an isolated, distinct North African ancestry persisted.
www.nature.com
April 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I'm beyond excited to share our new paper in Nature! We sequenced the first ancient human autosomal genomes from the Central Sahara, two ~7,000-year-old individuals from Takarkori in Libya, revealing a long-isolated North African lineage: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here's a short thread: (1/n)
Here's a short thread: (1/n)
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
PhD position in archaeozoology and omics at the University of Vienna! 🤠🦊🐯🦁🐱🐰🐍🦬🐂🦣🐄 The student will be based in Vienna and co-supervised in Santander!
February 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
PhD position in archaeozoology and omics at the University of Vienna! 🤠🦊🐯🦁🐱🐰🐍🦬🐂🦣🐄 The student will be based in Vienna and co-supervised in Santander!
Reposted by Laura Vilà Valls
Very happy that our new article was published today in AJHG @ajhgnews.bsky.social. Great collaboration with Cesar Fortes-Lima, Yoro Diallo, Vaclav Janousek, and Viktor Cerny. "Population history and admixture of the Fulani people from the Sahel" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Population history and admixture of the Fulani people from the Sahel
The Fulani people, one of the most important pastoralist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, are still largely underrepresented in population genomic resear…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Very happy that our new article was published today in AJHG @ajhgnews.bsky.social. Great collaboration with Cesar Fortes-Lima, Yoro Diallo, Vaclav Janousek, and Viktor Cerny. "Population history and admixture of the Fulani people from the Sahel" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...