Research
Photo courtesy of Dr. Kevin Bonine
Michael Nachman and the members of his lab study population, evolutionary, and ecological genetics and genomics. Most work is on mammals with particular emphasis on mice and humans. Research is focused on understanding the forces that shape genetic variation in natural populations. A first major area of research is aimed at uncovering the extent to which natural selection can be detected in patterns of DNA sequence variation, and in particular, in understanding the joint effects of selection and recombination in determining the distribution of genetic variation. A second area of interest is the genetics of speciation. This includes studies to understand the origin and consequences of specific mutations that may limit gene flow between populations and closely related species. A third main area of interest is ecological genetics, aimed at uncovering the genetic basis of traits that are known to be important ecologically. This includes studies on the genetic basis of adaptive melanism in mice.