Janet Kelso

Janet Kelso is a Research Professor and Group Leader at the Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. She leads the Minerva Research Group for Bioinformatics and has held this position since 2004. Her research focuses on ancient human genomes, particularly Neanderthals, Denisovans, and genetic admixture in modern humans. Kelso holds a PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of the Western Cape (2003) and has extensive postdoctoral experience in South Africa and Germany.

Research Interests: Kelso's work spans evolutionary genomics, ancient DNA analysis, and human population history. Her lab investigates genetic contributions of archaic hominins to modern humans, using cutting-edge genomic technologies. Key areas include Neanderthal and Denisovan genome sequencing, functional impacts of introgressed genes, and paleoenvironmental adaptation studies.

Awards & Grants: Notable accolades include the Chinese Academy of Sciences International Partnership Award (2017), ISCB Fellowship (2015), and AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize (2010). She has secured grants from DFG, EU COST, DKFZ, and NIH-H3Africa. Her work is supported by projects like the Simons Genome Diversity Project and collaborations with institutions globally.

Service & Leadership: Kelso serves as Co-Executive Editor of Database (Oxford) and Bioinformatics, and editorial roles at Genome Biology and Springer’s Computational Biology series. She has held leadership positions in ISCB, including Vice-President (2011–2013, 2017–2019), and chairs international conferences like ISMB and Bioinfo4Women. Kelso advocates for ethical standards in DNA research on human remains and promotes open educational resources.

Labs & Teams: Her research group integrates bioinformatics, genetics, and archaeology to decode hominin evolution. Collaborations include projects at Denisova Cave, Bacho Kiro Cave, and the Tibetan Plateau, leveraging ancient DNA to reconstruct human migration and adaptation histories.