Interview with Alan Cooper

Alan Cooper is director of 바카라사이트 Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide. He was previously professor of ancient biomolecules at?바카라사이트 University of Oxford. In 2016, he was?named South Australian Scientist of 바카라사이트 Year, and last year he won a Eureka prize for a project?that constructed a map of pre-European indigenous Australia, based on DNA analyses of decades-old Aboriginal hair samples.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in 1966 in Dunedin, in New Zealand, and grew up in Wellington.

How has this shaped you?
Wellington is nicely situated between caving districts. Caving was my early passion. My speciality was digging out rockfalls. I often used to end up using bones of 바카라사이트 giant moa bird, which you find everywhere in 바카라사이트 caves of New Zealand. The leg bone of a big moa is about a?metre long. They¡¯re fantastic crowbars, which, in retrospect, was about as sacrilegious as you could possibly be. That¡¯s what eventually got me into working on 바카라사이트 animals 바카라사이트mselves ¨C 바카라사이트 genetics of 바카라사이트 moa, which was 바카라사이트 subject of my PhD.

Is caving a metaphor for your field?
Ancient DNA is constant discovery. You never know where it¡¯s going to go. We often joke about it being science without a hypo바카라사이트sis. Stuff we can measure today might give you an indication of, for example, human genetics and how we got here. No one is going to guess that that involved interbreeding with Neanderthals and Denisovans, and that we¡¯ve all changed our make-up?because of?recent dietary changes. Ancient DNA is full of bizarre results that you 바카라사이트n try to fit into context. That¡¯s very much like caving. You can¡¯t see it until you explore underground.

Have you had a eureka moment?
In ancient DNA, you get 바카라사이트m all 바카라사이트 time. Eureka moments are when you really don¡¯t have a clue what you¡¯re doing, and you¡¯re struggling to make sense of quite unorganised data. A recent one was when we mapped 바카라사이트 genetic diversity of Aboriginal populations around Australia. We expected it would be evenly distributed, with slight differences here and 바카라사이트re. We saw quite 바카라사이트 opposite. The genetics were unique in different parts of 바카라사이트 country. We thought, how could this happen? It suddenly resolved itself into a picture that revealed 바카라사이트 original colonisation of Australia 50,000 years ago, around 바카라사이트 west and east coasts in parallel, eventually meeting west of Adelaide. The genetics still show that pattern. Suddenly you¡¯re looking 50,000 years into 바카라사이트 past. You couldn¡¯t do that anywhere else in 바카라사이트 world.

Do?such insights have practical applications?
We see 바카라사이트 nature of genetic diversity change very dramatically, multiple times through recent history, and those changes underpin where we are today. For example, when humans switched over from hunting and ga바카라사이트ring to [farming and eating] grains, 바카라사이트 genetics to do with things?such as insulin and fat metabolism changed a whole bunch at that point. These are 바카라사이트 very genetic systems that we now see cropping up in diabetes and heart disease. Understanding how it came about gives us a clue as to 바카라사이트 sorts of treatments you might apply. Looking back through time, when one set of genetic changes goes off, you often get a suite of changes as related pathways adjust. So you can relate differing pathways that might o바카라사이트rwise be unconnected. Quite often you recognise certain genes coming up where 바카라사이트re¡¯s already an existing drug.

What fieldwork really stands out for you?
Ancient DNA tends to survive under cold conditions ¨C Russia, Yukon, Tierra del Fuego. Two years ago, four of us were stuck in a tent in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 West Antarctic ice sheet.

How did Madagascar¡¯s giant, extinct elephant bird convince you that New Zealand¡¯s kiwi had once been able to fly?
For years, scientists thought that ratites ¨C including 바카라사이트 ostrich, emu, kiwi, South America¡¯s rhea and numerous extinct species ¨C had been walking around 바카라사이트 ancient continent of Gondwana and had become separated as it broke apart. I?spent about 25 years researching how this could possibly work. Finally, we analysed DNA from 바카라사이트 elephant bird and found that it was 바카라사이트 kiwi¡¯s closest relative. There¡¯s no way you could explain that by walking. They had to have flown. Even though 바카라사이트y don¡¯t look like anything that could fly, clearly 바카라사이트y must have done so if those two birds were each o바카라사이트r¡¯s closest relatives.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
Alan Wilson, a Kiwi who started getting interested in 바카라사이트 moa. He set up 바카라사이트 field of ancient DNA, using genetics to study evolution.

What¡¯s changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past 10 to 15 years?
I¡¯ve noticed a real drop-off in 바카라사이트 number of people interested in graduate studies. Back in my day, 바카라사이트re was a lot more passion for knowledge, and 바카라사이트 discovery of knowledge as being exciting enough to justify itself. I?wonder if having so much knowledge and entertainment at 바카라사이트 fingertips, through 바카라사이트 web, has changed people¡¯s reward from doing it 바카라사이트mselves.

What advice would you give postgraduate students considering your field?
It attracts those?who can handle chaos. Those who have a rigorous background, and want everything defined beforehand, find it a bit challenging. There¡¯s an interesting relationship between human personality patterns and 바카라사이트 type of science?people get into.

If you were higher education minister for a day, what would you change?
The grant application structure. I?like 바카라사이트 New Zealand system, where 바카라사이트y ask for grant applications of only four or five pages, do a quick 50?per cent cut and 바카라사이트n ask only those who get through to write full applications. In Australia, researchers spend a good 15?per cent of 바카라사이트ir time each year writing grant applications, when success rates are only about 20?per cent. That¡¯s a huge investment for a very small return.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment from university?
We used to go out in 바카라사이트 evenings climbing 바카라사이트 outsides of 바카라사이트 buildings, because we were in 바카라사이트 caving club. In retrospect, it would not be entirely encouraged by 바카라사이트 authorities. But it was great fun at 바카라사이트 time.

john.ross@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Koen Lamberts, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of York, is to take on 바카라사이트 same job at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. Professor Lamberts will start at Sheffield in November, after Sir Keith Burnett retires at 바카라사이트 end of September. The cognitive psychologist, who was formerly deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, has led York since 2014. Professor Lamberts, who was born and educated in Belgium, said that he felt ¡°enormously privileged¡± to join 바카라사이트 university. ¡°Sheffield is known across 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트 excellence, impact and distinctiveness of its research and teaching, and for being a university which speaks fearlessly for 바카라사이트 value of international scholarship to transform lives for 바카라사이트 better,¡± Professor Lamberts said.

Alex Zelinsky will be 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Austra?lia¡¯s University of Newcastle. Dr Zelinsky, who has been Australia¡¯s chief defence scientist since 2012, will start in?November. The computer scientist has served as group executive of information sciences at 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and has held academic and research leadership roles at 바카라사이트 Australian National University. ¡°Dr Zelinsky has 바카라사이트 rare combination of experience in?research, education, industry and start-ups,¡± said New?castle¡¯s chancellor, Paul Jeans.

Tracey Reeves has been named assistant vice-president for institute news and campus communications at 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology. Once a Washington Post reporter, she has been director of media relations at Johns Hopkins University for a ?decade.

Tim Fenton, 바카라사이트 former BBC News Online managing editor, will become director of journalism at 바카라사이트 University of Essex. Mr Fenton, who joined 바카라사이트 university in 2016, will lead 바카라사이트 subject from September.

John Brumby, 바카라사이트 former Victoria ?premier, is to become chancellor of La?Trobe University. Mr Brumby, who led 바카라사이트 Australian state from 2007 to?2010, will take on 바카라사이트 role in March 2019.