I’m a human evolutionary biologist with training in genomics, biological anthropology and pluripotent stem cell biology. My research interests include understanding evolutionary adaptions at both short and long time spans – those that have occurred in specific human populations, but also those that separate us from our close evolutionary relatives. Since moving to Australia in 2017 my research has focused on the evolutionary challenges of peopling Island Southeast Asia, with particular interest on the population genomics of the Indonesian archipelago and the interactions between Homo sapiens and other regional hominin groups. I’m also very interested by issues surrounding the practice of science – funding allocation, career progression and levels of inclusion, diversity and equity in the scientific workforce across multiple axes.
I was a speaker at TEDxNTU in 2016. You can watch the recording here, and was featured on two episodes of the ABC documentary series, The Human Revolution, talking about the contributions of Denisovan DNA to modern day individuals.
Finally, my name is pronounced ee-réh-neh, not ay-reen! If you speak any language other than English, say my name in that language and you’ll be fine.
Search for Irene Gallego Romero's papers on the Research page