#  Megan Michel 

 



   ![img-6022_4.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum5226/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/megan-michel/files/img-6022_4.jpg?itok=ti5ulCxk) 

 

## About Me

I am a doctoral candidate jointly affiliated with the [Department of Human Evolutionary Biology](https://heb.fas.harvard.edu/) at Harvard University and the [Archaeogenetics Department ](https://www.shh.mpg.de/Department-of-Archaeogenetics)at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany. Broadly, my research seeks to illuminate the mechanisms and consequences of human/pathogen coevolution using genomic analyses of ancient and modern pathogen DNA. Specific areas of interest include:

1. Exploring the impact of human dietary transitions (particularly Neolithization) on the evolution of the cariogenic oral microbe *Streptococcus mutans*
2. Using ancient genomics to illuminate the evolutionary origins of human malaria parasites, particularly *Plasmodium falciparum* and *P. vivax*
3. Application of ancient DNA methodologies to non-invasively generate pathogen genomes from poorly-preserved metagenomic contexts

My graduate work is advised by [Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause](https://www.shh.mpg.de/2890/johanneskrause), [Prof. Dr. Christina Warinner](http://christinawarinner.com/), and [Dr. Alexander Herbig](https://www.shh.mpg.de/person/41529/25522), and I am supported by the [Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean (MHAAM)](https://www.archaeoscience.org/) graduate fellowship. Prior to beginning graduate school, I spent two years working as an ancient DNA technician in the [Reich Lab ](https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/)at Harvard Medical School. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College in 2015, achieving highest honors for my senior thesis, advised by [Dr. Yolanda Cruz](https://www.oberlin.edu/yolanda-cruz).

I am also interested in public science education/outreach, diversity and inclusivity in the STEM, and scientific pedagogy. I currently serves as Co-Leader of the Outreach Working Group of the Human Evolutionary Biology Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.