Eva Fernandez Dominguez

Dr. Eva Fernandez Dominguez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University. She specializes in ancient DNA analysis and population genetics, with a particular focus on the Neolithic transition in Europe and the Near East. Her research combines genetic, isotopic, and archaeological approaches to understand human mobility, kinship structures, and population dynamics in prehistoric societies.

Education

• PhD, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain (2005)
• MSc Health Expertise (Forensics), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2009)
• BSc Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain (1998)

Research Focus

Dr. Fernandez Dominguez's work centers on human population genetics, examining genetic diversity, migration patterns, and kinship structures in ancient and modern populations. Her research extends to animal population genetics and methodological developments for ancient and forensic DNA work, including sampling protocols, extraction techniques, and genotyping methods. She frequently integrates multiple lines of evidence to address complex questions about human prehistory.

Current Research

Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition across Europe, with particular emphasis on Iberia and the Near East. Recent work combines ancient DNA with stable isotope analysis to investigate kinship structures in early village societies and population dynamics during agricultural transitions.

Scientific Leadership

• What's in a house? (2021-2024): Leverhulme Research Project exploring kinship in the world's first houses
• ROAM Project (2022-2026): Regional Outlook on Ancient Migration in southern Belgium

Supervision

Dr. Fernandez Dominguez currently supervises postgraduate researchers including Geordie Laidlaw and Zexuan Chen, with expertise spanning ancient human population genetics, modern human population genetics, and forensic genetics.