2026 Kafatos Lecture

About

Svante Pääbo

Svante Pääbo is a Swedish evolutionary geneticist whose pioneering work gave rise to the field of paleogenomics: the study of ancient DNA to shed light on the evolution of humans and other organisms. As Director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, he led the Neandertal Genome Project, which achieved the first sequencing of a Neanderthal genome and revealed that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred. His team later discovered a previously unknown hominin, the Denisovans, through DNA extracted from a small bone fragment found in Siberia.

For his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and their influence on modern humans, Pääbo received the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His work continues to reshape our understanding of what makes us uniquely human, and how the legacy of our extinct relatives lives on within our DNA.

A Neanderthal Perspective on Human Origins and Health:
How Ancient DNA is Revealing New Insights into Disease and Biology

In EMBL’s fifth annual Kafatos Lecture, Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo will explore how genetic material inherited from our long-extinct relatives offers profound insights into human biology and health.

Through his pioneering sequencing of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes, Pääbo revealed that all people of non-African ancestry carry 1–2% Neanderthal DNA. These ancient genetic variants influence a surprising range of traits in modern humans, from immune responses and pain sensitivity to metabolism and disease outcomes. Some Neanderthal-derived variants, for example, increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19 while offering protection against HIV infection.

Using cutting-edge techniques, including gene editing and organoid models, Pääbo’s group now studies how these archaic genes function in living human cells — effectively turning back the genetic clock to understand evolution at the molecular level.

This lecture will take the audience on a journey from ancient bones to modern biology, revealing how traces of our extinct ancestors continue to influence our wellbeing and health outcomes.

The Kafatos Lectures

The Kafatos Lectures aim to bring groundbreaking and relevant life sciences research to the worldwide public, making it accessible and highlighting its day-to-day societal impact. Whether you’re a high school student, a world-class scientist or someone with a non-scientific background, this lecture is tailored for you. The only requirements are enthusiasm and curiosity.

Programme

Information for participants

Venue: IMBB-FoRTH (Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas)

www.imbb.forth.gr

Nik. Plastira 100
Vassilika Vouton
70013 Heraklion
Crete, Greece

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