Download Henrik Kaessmann`s farewell lecture

The CIG invites you to
Henrik Kaessmann’s
farewell lecture
« Functional evolution of
mammalian genomes»
Henrik Kaessmann
Center for Integrative Genomics
Auditorium C, Génopode
UNIL - Lausanne
Thursday September 24, 2015
5:30 PM
Program
¾¾ Welcome
Prof N.Hernandez
¾¾ Farewell Lecture
Prof H.Kaessmann
«Functional evolution of mammalian genomes»
¾¾ Refreshments will be served.
Henrik Kaessmann
Henrik Kaessmann, Professor at the Center for Integrative Genomics (CIG) of
the University of Lausanne (UNIL), is an expert in the field of evolutionary
genomics. The main goal of his research is the identification of molecular
changes underlying the evolution of mammalian phenotypes. Given that
regulatory mutations affecting gene expression probably explain most of
phenotypic evolution, the work of his group work focuses on large-scale
evolutionary analyses of gene expression patterns and underlying regulatory
mechanisms across tissues from representative mammals and vertebrate
outgroup species. He will leave UNIL in October for a professorship at the
University of Heidelberg (Center for Molecular Biology).
Mammals share major traits (e.g., lactation, hair and relatively large brains with
unique structures), but have also evolved distinct anatomical, physiological
2014 – Present
Full Professor, CIG, UNIL
and behavioral characteristics, relating to differences in reproduction, life span,
cognitive abilities and disease susceptibility. The molecular changes (i.e., changes
2010 – Present
Group Leader, SIB
in protein/RNA sequences or expression levels) underlying these phenotypic shifts
2007 – 2014
Associate Professor (with tenure), CIG, UNIL
and the associated selective pressures have only recently begun to be investigated
2003 – 2007
Assistant Professor (tenure-track), CIG, UNIL
based on an increasing number of available mammalian genomes. Henrik
2001 – 2003
Postdoctoral fellow (EMBO, Emmy Noether)
Kaessmann’s group performs integrated bioinformatics analyses pertaining to the
University of Chicago, USA
functional evolution of mammalian genes (and potentially associated phenotypic
changes) on the basis of publicly available genomic data as well as extensive data
1997 – 2001
Ph.D. degree (Summa cum laude),
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (e.g., large-scale transcriptome data) generated by the wet lab unit of the group.
University of Leipzig, Germany
His group has been interested in a range of topics related to the functional
1997
Master of Science degree, Uppsala University
evolution of genomes from primates (e.g., the emergence of new genes and their
Sweden
functions) and other mammals (e.g., the origin and evolution of mammalian sex
1995 – 1997
Biology studies, Uppsala University
chromosomes). In the framework of projects launched in 2009, his group has
Sweden
been producing large amounts of transcriptome and genome (e.g., epigenome)
1992 – 1994
Biology studies, Ludwig Maximilians University
data for a unique collection of tissues from representative mammals and outgroup
Munich, Germany
species (e.g., birds) using next generation sequencing technologies. Topics of
current projects that are based on these data include the origins and/or evolution
of protein-coding genes, alternative splicing, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs,
and sex chromosomes (e.g., X dosage compensation and Y origins and functions).
© Felix Imhof
From 2015 (October) Full Professor, CMB, University of Heidelberg
Germany