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NOBEL PRIZE 2026

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NSF

Collaborative Research: Genomic and Isotopic Analyses of Population Interactions and Continuity

Active
Institution
George Mason University, VA
Principal investigator
Rick W Smith
Funding
$378K
Duration
2025–2028
Open portfolio

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Abstract

Studies of human population genetics can reveal patterns of human movements and interactions, advancing knowledge about how individual and group behaviors shape human societies. In this project, the investigators use genomic and isotopic methods and data to reconstruct population histories and evaluate changes in mobility patterns through time. The project advances science outreach as well as graduate and postdoctoral training in STEM fields. The project generates genomic, paleogenomic, and isotopic data to reconstruct population histories and address the following three objectives: 1) evaluate genomic variation and population dynamics, 2) investigate changes in mobility patterns, and 3) assess genomic and isotopic variation and evaluate genomic continuities/discontinuities within groups over time. The research can inform our understanding of the scale of interactions between various populations before and after major events. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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populationgenomicmobilityhistoriespatternsinvestigate changesreconstructisotopic

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