Evolution@Vanderbilt

Mia joined the CoEvoD program as a third-year trainee in 2026.

Life history traits that exist across mammalian species, including humans, contribute costs and benefits that an organism must contend with across the lifespan. Crucially, humans are still widely believed to have evolved as an exception in their life history, with a pace of life that seems markedly slowed in contrast to other mammalian species, a possible consequence of selection for a longer juvenile period and extended post-reproductive years, in addition to increased longevity. While the extended human longevity may be regarded overall positively, the extended aging process that accompanies it introduces the major consequence of an elevated risk for disease related to the damages accumulated during aging and to hormonal fluctuations (e.g., as experienced by woman in pre- and post- menopause), such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Publications

Brown, L.M., Elbon, M.C., Bharadwaj, A., Damle, G. and Lachance, J., 2024. Does effective population size govern evolutionary differences in telomere length?. Genome biology and evolution, 16(5): evae111.