David Witonsky

Ancient human genomes from Ladakh reveal Tibetan, South Asian, and Central Asian admixture over the last three millennia

Genomic profiling of active vitamin D colonic responses in African- and European-Americans identifies an ancestry-related regulatory variant of POLB

The paper identifies an ancestry-related regulatory variant of POLB associated with 1,25D responses in colonic organoids from African- and European-Americans.

Comparative transcriptomics of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in a high and a low altitude population

The paper compares transcriptomes of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from Tibetan and Han Chinese populations under hypoxia, identifying pathway differences linked to high-altitude adaptation.

Distinct positions of genetic and oral histories: Perspectives from India

The paper compares genetic and oral histories of four Indian populations, finding genetic similarity to other Indian groups but no evidence of additional non-local genetic sources.

Poverty shapes the transcriptome of immune cells

The paper identifies 138 genes differentially expressed in blood immune cells associated with poverty, enriched in wound healing and coagulation, and linked to hypertension.

The genetic prehistory of the Andean highlands 7,000 Years BP though European contact

The paper analyzes ancient DNA from the Andes to reveal genetic adaptations and population dynamics over 7,000 years, showing a split between high and lowland populations and a severe post-European-contact collapse.

Detecting past and ongoing natural selection among ethnically Tibetan women at high altitude in Nepal

The paper identifies genetic evidence of positive and negative selection in Tibetan women from Nepal related to reproductive traits and offspring survival.