After his doctorate in bioinformatics in 2015 and initial researcher position at the University of Tübingen, Alexander Herbig is leading the Computational Pathogenomics research group as part of the Department of Archaeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

The group’s research focuses primarily on investigating the evolution of various pathogens whose genetic material can be isolated from archaeological human remains. Particular emphasis is placed on the reciprocal influence between human culture and pathogen evolution. One major area of research is the study of plague across diƯerent time periods, ranging from prehistory through the Middle Ages to the early modern period. Another key focus is the development of methods for the detection, reconstruction, and comparative analysis of pathogen genomes.

For a list of Alexander’s publications, click here.