Our research program consists of several complimentary and integrated parts including bench science, bioinformatics, and fieldwork. Bench science and bioinformatics are performed in the Bigham Lab of Anthropological Genomics. We take a mixed approach that uses genotyping, high-throughput DNA sequencing, and analysis of publicly available data to characterize gene diversity in global populations. We actively engage in fieldwork through projects in Latin America including the countries of Peru, Brazil, and Mexico.  Through these areas of study, we hope to contribute to our understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships and shed light onto the patterns of complex phenotypes and disease prevalence.

Genetic Adaptation to High Altitude

The capacity of long-term high-altitude populations (e.g. Andeans and Tibetans) to live in a chronic hypoxia state provides an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the underlying mechanisms governing their physiological adaptations. Such knowledge is likely to profoundly impact our understanding of the genetic control of phenotypic traits as well as provide the basis for therapies for chronic ischemic diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We focus on Andean patterns of adaptation as well as cross-population comparisons to understand the prevalence of convergent or parallel evolution among Andeans and Tibetans.

Host Susceptibility and Resistance to Infectious Disease

We incorporate an evolutionary perspective into the study of infectious disease susceptibility and pathogenesis. Our approach leverages the effect of past natural selection on modern infectious disease risk and progression, bridging the gap between medicine and anthropology. We have focused on three infectious diseases, HIV, malaria, and flaviviruses.