Dr Selina Brace
Principal Researcher
ORCID: 0000-0003-2126-6732
Department: Earth Sciences
Division: ES Vertebrates and Anthropology Palaeobiology
Specialisms: Ancient DNA
Summary
*Please note some sections of this website are not updating accurately and so may be out of date. Apologies.*I’m a researcher in the field of ancient DNA (aDNA) and museum-based genomics, with a focus on mammalian and human DNA. My research uses aDNA at the species and population levels to address fundamental questions relating to taxonomy and evolutionary relationships in mammals, exploring past histories and structure of taxa to understand responses to past events (climatic and human mediated) and to provide insights that can aid current conservation plans and policies. Some of my current research areas of interest and funding relate to: 1. Human and mammal response to climate change. ERC project. TransCause. This project investigates how humans and other mammals responded to climate oscillations in the Southern Caucasus and Armenian highlands during the Palaeolithic.2. Biodiversity response to urbanism. (with Reading University). To examine the long-term impacts of urbanism on biodiversity and ecosystem health (in London) using ancient eDNA from sediment samples.3. Palaeolithic human behaviour. 4. Genetics of historical UK human populations. Roman and post-medieval period. 5. Museum-based conservation genomics. using ancient/historical DNA to generate baseline data to explore species response to past events such as climate and human- mediated change. Genomic data can also be used to determine past population structure, migrations, admixture, and genomic health, which can be applied to aid real world conservation policy and planning.
Qualifications
Degrees
- Ph.D, Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom, 2007 - 2010
- B.Sc. (Hons), University College London, United Kingdom, 2000 - 2004
Academic
- Merit Researcher in aDNA, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom, 2023 - ongoing
- Researcher in ancient DNA, The Natural History Museum, Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2017 - ongoing
- Researcher/co-investigator-Wellcome, The Natural History Museum, Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2013 - 2019
- Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Royal Holloway University of London, Biological Sciences, United Kingdom, 2010 - 2013
- Research/Laboratory Technican, University College London, United Kingdom, 2006 - 2007
- Honorary Researcher, University College London, United Kingdom, 2005 - 2005
- Field Research Site Manager in Kenya, Columbia University, United States, 2004 - 2005
Highlighted publications
- Mullin VE, Stephen W, Arce AN, Nash W, Raine C, Notton DG, Whiffin A, Blagderov V, Gharbi K, Hogan J, Hunter T, Irish N, Jackson S, Judd S, Watkins C, Haerty W, Ollerton J, Brace S, Gill RJ, Barnes I (2023) First large‐scale quantification study of DNA preservation in insects from natural history collections using genome‐wide sequencing. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14, 360 - 371. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.13945
- Brace S, Diekmann Y, Booth T, Macleod R, Timpson A, Stephen W, Emery G, Cabot S, Thomas MG, Barnes I (2022) Genomes from a medieval mass burial show Ashkenazi-associated hereditary diseases pre-date the 12th century. Current Biology 32, 4350 - 4359.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.036
- Olalde I, Brace S, Allentoft ME, Armit I, Kristiansen K, Booth T, Rohland N, Mallick S, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Mittnik A, Altena E, Lipson M, Lazaridis I, Harper TK, Patterson N, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Diekmann Y, Faltyskova Z, Fernandes D, Ferry M, Harney E, De Knijff P, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Stewardson K, Barclay A, Alt KW, Liesau C, Ríos P, Blasco C, Miguel JV, García RM, Fernández AA, Bánffy E, Bernabò-Brea M, Billoin D, Bonsall C, Bonsall L, Allen T, Büster L, Carver S, Navarro LC, Craig OE, Cook GT, Cunliffe B, Denaire A, Dinwiddy KE, Dodwell N, Ernée M, Evans C, Kuchařík M, Farré JF, Fowler C, Gazenbeek M, Pena RG, Haber-Uriarte M, Haduch E, Hey G, Jowett N, Knowles T, Massy K, Pfrengle S, Lefranc P, Lemercier O, Lefebvre A, Martínez CH, Olmo VG, Ramírez AB, Maurandi JL, Majó T, McKinley JI, McSweeney K, Mende BG, Modi A, Kulcsár G, Kiss V, Czene A, Patay R, Endrődi A, Köhler K, Hajdu T, Szeniczey T, Dani J, Bernert Z, Hoole M, Cheronet O, Keating D, Velemínský P, Dobeš M, Candilio F, Brown F, Fernández RF, Herrero-Corral A-M, Tusa S, Carnieri E, Lentini L, Valenti A, Zanini A, Waddington C, Delibes G, Guerra-Doce E, Neil B, Brittain M, Luke M, Mortimer R, Desideri J, Besse M, Brücken G, Furmanek M, Hałuszko A, Mackiewicz M, Rapiński A, Leach S, Soriano I, Lillios KT, Cardoso JL, Pearson MP, Włodarczak P, Price TD, Prieto P, Rey P-J, Risch R, Rojo Guerra MA, Schmitt A, Serralongue J, Silva AM, Smrčka V, Vergnaud L, Zilhão J, Caramelli D, Higham T, Thomas MG, Kennett DJ, Fokkens H, Heyd V, Sheridan A, Sjögren K-G, Stockhammer PW, Krause J, Pinhasi R, Haak W, Barnes I, Lalueza-Fox C, Reich D (2018) The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe. Nature 555, 190 - 196. doi: 10.1038/nature25738
- Woods R, Turvey ST, Brace S, MacPhee RDE, Barnes I (2018) Ancient DNA of the extinct Jamaican monkey Xenothrix reveals extreme insular change within a morphologically conservative radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, 12769 - 12774. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1808603115
- Brace S, Thomas JA, Dalén L, Burger J, MacPhee RDE, Barnes I, Turvey ST (2016) Evolutionary History of the Nesophontidae, the Last Unplaced Recent Mammal Family. Molecular Biology and Evolution 33, 3095 - 3103. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msw186
- Welker F, Collins MJ, Thomas JA, Wadsley M, Brace S, Cappellini E, Turvey ST, Reguero M, Gelfo JN, Kramarz A, Burger J, Thomas-Oates J, Ashford DA, Ashton PD, Rowsell K, Porter DM, Kessler B, Fischer R, Baessmann C, Kaspar S, Olsen JV, Kiley P, Elliott JA, Kelstrup CD, Mullin V, Hofreiter M, Willerslev E, Hublin J-J, Orlando L, Barnes I, MacPhee RDE (2015) Ancient proteins resolve the evolutionary history of Darwin’s South American ungulates. Nature 522, 81 - 84. doi: 10.1038/nature14249
- Martínková N, Barnett R, Cucchi T, Struchen R, Pascal M, Pascal M, Fischer MC, Higham T, Brace S, Ho SYW, Others (2013) Divergent evolutionary processes associated with colonization of offshore islands. Molecular ecology 22, 5205 - 5220.
- Brace S, Palkopoulou E, Dalén L, Lister AM, Miller R, Otte M, Germonpré M, Blockley SPE, Stewart JR, Barnes I (2012) Serial population extinctions in a small mammal indicate Late Pleistocene ecosystem instability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 20532 - 20536. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1213322109
- Brace S, Diekmann Y, Booth TJ, Van Dorp L, Faltyskova Z, Rohland N, Mallick S, Olalde I, Ferry M, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Stewardson K, Martiniano R, Walsh S, Kayser M, Charlton S, Hellenthal G, Armit I, Schulting R, Craig OE, Sheridan A, Parker Pearson M, Stringer C, Reich D, Thomas MG, Barnes I Ancient genomes indicate population replacement in Early Neolithic Britain. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3, 765 - 771. doi: 10.1038/s41559-019-0871-9
Highlighted publications
- Mullin VE, Stephen W, Arce AN, Nash W, Raine C, Notton DG, Whiffin A, Blagderov V, Gharbi K, Hogan J, Hunter T, Irish N, Jackson S, Judd S, Watkins C, Haerty W, Ollerton J, Brace S, Gill RJ, Barnes I (2023) First large‐scale quantification study of DNA preservation in insects from natural history collections using genome‐wide sequencing. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14, 360 - 371. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.13945
- Brace S, Diekmann Y, Booth T, Macleod R, Timpson A, Stephen W, Emery G, Cabot S, Thomas MG, Barnes I (2022) Genomes from a medieval mass burial show Ashkenazi-associated hereditary diseases pre-date the 12th century. Current Biology 32, 4350 - 4359.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.036
- Olalde I, Brace S, Allentoft ME, Armit I, Kristiansen K, Booth T, Rohland N, Mallick S, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Mittnik A, Altena E, Lipson M, Lazaridis I, Harper TK, Patterson N, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Diekmann Y, Faltyskova Z, Fernandes D, Ferry M, Harney E, De Knijff P, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Stewardson K, Barclay A, Alt KW, Liesau C, Ríos P, Blasco C, Miguel JV, García RM, Fernández AA, Bánffy E, Bernabò-Brea M, Billoin D, Bonsall C, Bonsall L, Allen T, Büster L, Carver S, Navarro LC, Craig OE, Cook GT, Cunliffe B, Denaire A, Dinwiddy KE, Dodwell N, Ernée M, Evans C, Kuchařík M, Farré JF, Fowler C, Gazenbeek M, Pena RG, Haber-Uriarte M, Haduch E, Hey G, Jowett N, Knowles T, Massy K, Pfrengle S, Lefranc P, Lemercier O, Lefebvre A, Martínez CH, Olmo VG, Ramírez AB, Maurandi JL, Majó T, McKinley JI, McSweeney K, Mende BG, Modi A, Kulcsár G, Kiss V, Czene A, Patay R, Endrődi A, Köhler K, Hajdu T, Szeniczey T, Dani J, Bernert Z, Hoole M, Cheronet O, Keating D, Velemínský P, Dobeš M, Candilio F, Brown F, Fernández RF, Herrero-Corral A-M, Tusa S, Carnieri E, Lentini L, Valenti A, Zanini A, Waddington C, Delibes G, Guerra-Doce E, Neil B, Brittain M, Luke M, Mortimer R, Desideri J, Besse M, Brücken G, Furmanek M, Hałuszko A, Mackiewicz M, Rapiński A, Leach S, Soriano I, Lillios KT, Cardoso JL, Pearson MP, Włodarczak P, Price TD, Prieto P, Rey P-J, Risch R, Rojo Guerra MA, Schmitt A, Serralongue J, Silva AM, Smrčka V, Vergnaud L, Zilhão J, Caramelli D, Higham T, Thomas MG, Kennett DJ, Fokkens H, Heyd V, Sheridan A, Sjögren K-G, Stockhammer PW, Krause J, Pinhasi R, Haak W, Barnes I, Lalueza-Fox C, Reich D (2018) The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe. Nature 555, 190 - 196. doi: 10.1038/nature25738
- Woods R, Turvey ST, Brace S, MacPhee RDE, Barnes I (2018) Ancient DNA of the extinct Jamaican monkey Xenothrix reveals extreme insular change within a morphologically conservative radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, 12769 - 12774. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1808603115
- Brace S, Thomas JA, Dalén L, Burger J, MacPhee RDE, Barnes I, Turvey ST (2016) Evolutionary History of the Nesophontidae, the Last Unplaced Recent Mammal Family. Molecular Biology and Evolution 33, 3095 - 3103. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msw186
- Welker F, Collins MJ, Thomas JA, Wadsley M, Brace S, Cappellini E, Turvey ST, Reguero M, Gelfo JN, Kramarz A, Burger J, Thomas-Oates J, Ashford DA, Ashton PD, Rowsell K, Porter DM, Kessler B, Fischer R, Baessmann C, Kaspar S, Olsen JV, Kiley P, Elliott JA, Kelstrup CD, Mullin V, Hofreiter M, Willerslev E, Hublin J-J, Orlando L, Barnes I, MacPhee RDE (2015) Ancient proteins resolve the evolutionary history of Darwin’s South American ungulates. Nature 522, 81 - 84. doi: 10.1038/nature14249
- Martínková N, Barnett R, Cucchi T, Struchen R, Pascal M, Pascal M, Fischer MC, Higham T, Brace S, Ho SYW, Others (2013) Divergent evolutionary processes associated with colonization of offshore islands. Molecular ecology 22, 5205 - 5220.
- Brace S, Palkopoulou E, Dalén L, Lister AM, Miller R, Otte M, Germonpré M, Blockley SPE, Stewart JR, Barnes I (2012) Serial population extinctions in a small mammal indicate Late Pleistocene ecosystem instability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 20532 - 20536. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1213322109
- Brace S, Diekmann Y, Booth TJ, Van Dorp L, Faltyskova Z, Rohland N, Mallick S, Olalde I, Ferry M, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Stewardson K, Martiniano R, Walsh S, Kayser M, Charlton S, Hellenthal G, Armit I, Schulting R, Craig OE, Sheridan A, Parker Pearson M, Stringer C, Reich D, Thomas MG, Barnes I Ancient genomes indicate population replacement in Early Neolithic Britain. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3, 765 - 771. doi: 10.1038/s41559-019-0871-9