Lara Cassidy

Lara Cassidy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin. Her lab uses ancient genomes to characterise past evolutionary, demographic and social processes. Born in Ireland, she studied Human Genetics at Trinity College Dublin before undertaking a PhD in ancient genomics with Dan Bradley. Her doctoral work helped to resolve the genetic origins of the modern Irish population and uncovered major episodes of prehistoric population replacement in northwest Europe. Over time, her focus has shifted to the characterisation of more fine-grained patterns of gene flow, population size and structure in ancient societies. This work has provided new insights into the social landscapes of Neolithic Ireland, where evidence of an elite practising dynastic incest was uncovered, and Iron Age Britain, where widespread matrilocal marriage customs were characterised. Most recently, she has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant to reconstruct a thousand years of genetic and social history in three medieval Irish communities.