Dr. Irene Gallego Romero: "Genetic diversity in Island Southeast Asia: From immune cell atlases to archaic introgression"

We are pleased to welcome Associate Professor Irene Gallego Romero, head of the Human Genomics & Evolution laboratory at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (Melbourne) and an affiliate of our Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine (cGEM), for a seminar on her latest research.

Gallego Romero earned her PhD in Biological Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in 2010 and has held positions as a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago, a Nanyang Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and a Senior Lecturer in Systems Genomics at the University of Melbourne. Additionally, she serves on the executive committee of the Atlas of Variant Effects Alliance.

Her work focuses on how evolutionary forces and archaic hominin introgression have shaped human genetic diversity and gene expression, particularly in underrepresented populations.

Abstract

Island Southeast Asia, home to ~8% of the global population, remains severely underrepresented in genetic studies despite its rich diversity. We present complementary approaches to address this gap. First, we've developed an atlas of immune cell diversity across Indonesian populations, using single-cell RNA-seq from ~400,000 cells in ~200 individuals from the islands of Bali and New Guinea. This dataset spans diverse genetic ancestries and lifestyles, allowing us to deconvolute genetic and environmental contributions to gene regulatory variation.

Additionally, we've functionally characterized over 26,000 Denisovan and Neanderthal variants present in modern-day Papuan populations. Using an MPRA, we identify ~100 archaic alleles capable of driving gene expression, many involved in immune processes, inflammation, and morphology. Differentially active SNPs between archaic and non-archaic alleles are often predicted to regulate immune-related genes, including potential targets of adaptive introgression.

These studies provide crucial insights into the genetic landscape of this region, highlighting modern and archaic contributions to human diversity. We discuss substantial challenges in working with underrepresented populations and strategies for ensuring ethical, equitable research that benefits local researchers and participants. Our findings have broad implications for understanding global genetic diversity and its functional impacts.

For more information or to request a personal meeting with Dr. Irene Gallego Romero, please contact Michael Dannemann at michael.dannemann@ut.ee

Zoom: https://ut-ee.zoom.us/j/99884903533?pwd=SdUMU5coasYnc8d75RZMgJTCVQdlTV.1