# Reconstructing the evolutionary history of humans and human-associated microbes in South Asia using an integrated genomics approach

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2024 · $391,476

## Abstract

Research Summary
South Asians account for nearly 25% of the global population, displaying unique and complex genetic and
social structures. South Asians also exhibit a high burden of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Yet, the
paucity of modern and ancient genomics data deriving from individuals of South Asian ancestry, result in a
fragmented picture of the origins and evolution of the genetic and socio-cultural diversity of this region. Over
the next five years, one of primary research programs in the Raghavan lab will leverage our expertise in
ancient and modern genomics to address three crucial themes to promote our understanding of the genetics of
South Asians and their diseases: (i) the regional demographic history over the last ~8,000 years, (ii) the
prehistoric occurrence of infectious diseases and the evolution of pathogens and infectious diseases in this
region, and (iii) the impact of dietary transitions on the gut microbiome composition and health of Indian
populations. Since present-day gene pools and disease landscapes are products of long-acting evolutionary
processes, we will jointly generate and analyze ancient and modern human genomic datasets in order to
achieve Themes 1 and 2 that focus on the evolution of modern human populations, including reconstructing
past migrations and admixture events, and infectious diseases, including the detection and phylogenetic
characterization of ancient pathogens in human skeletal materials, respectively. Theme 3 will additionally
benefit from my group’s growing networks with Indigenous populations across India to study the impact of
dietary and subsistence transitions – so-called ‘westernization’ of traditionalist diets - on the gut microbiome.
Ultimately, through the implementation of these complementary themes set within the context of South Asian
populations, this research program will contribute towards our overall understanding of the evolutionary
mechanisms that underlie health and disease among human populations. Importantly, data and results from
our research will address critical representational gaps in the genomics literature and make precision medicine
efforts more universal and diverse in their application, especially for a region that, in light of being one of the
most populous regions with the largest diaspora, contributes substantially to the global disease burden.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877178
- **Project number:** 5R35GM143094-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Maanasa Raghavan
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $391,476
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-13 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877178

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877178, Reconstructing the evolutionary history of humans and human-associated microbes in South Asia using an integrated genomics approach (5R35GM143094-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877178. Licensed CC0.

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