Home

Research Interests

In graduate school, Amanda studied the population genetics of Native American and First Nations ancient and living people. In the future, Amanda would like to explore questions of interest to communities who are underrepresented in genetic research.

Education

University of Iowa; B.S. Biology 2006

University of Pennsylvania; Non-degree Post Baccalaureate

University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign, Ph.D. 2019

Professional Positions Held

2021- Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Iowa

2019-2020 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Anthropology, Emory University

2009-2012 Research Specialist B, Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania

2006-2008 Research Assistant I, Molecular Ophthalmology, University of Iowa

Teaching

Teaching Assistantships

Head Teaching Assistant for Evolution and Organismal Biology (IB 150)

· Oversaw & coordinated 9 TAs, prepped for discussion section Fall 2017

Teaching Assistant in lab for Genetics (IB 204) Fall 2015

Teaching Assistant in lab for Evolution (IB 302), lecture coordinator Spring 2015

Teaching Assistant in lab for Genetics (IB 204) Fall 2014

Teaching Assistant in lab for Evolution (IB 302) Spring 2014

Invited Guest Lectures

Lecturer for Forensic Science (ANTH 246), Human Variation of Y-STRs, 4/11 2017

Lecturer for Genetics (IB 204), The Chemical Nature of DNA Lecture, 8/28 2015

Research Assistantships

Assistant Editor of Human Biology 2016, 2018

· Managing article submissions and cleaning accepted articles

Isopop Population Structure Project, Dr. Alex Lipka, UIUC Summer 2016, 2017

· Researcher conducting lab and computational analyses

In³- Uses and Limitations of Genomic Research in Forensic Science Fall 2012-Fall 2013

· Researcher assisting in a study connecting genotype to phenotype

Volunteer Research Experience

Volunteer Researcher, Biology, Dr. John Logsdon, University of Iowa 2005-2009

· Tree of Life project- bioinformatics, DNA alignments, tree reconstruction

Grants

National Science Foundation, “Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant”, $31,168 2018

Program in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, “Summer Research Grant”, $500 2016

PEEC and Graduate College Conference Travel Grant $750 2014

PEEC “Summer Research Grant”, $1000 2014

Illinois State Archaeological Survey, “Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials

(ATAM) Mini-Grant”, $538.49 2014

Outreach Experience

World of Genomics- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology:

St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis, MO. 10/18-10/20 2018

World of Genomics-Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology:

For External Advisory Board members, Champaign, IL. 10/22 2017

Genomics for Police Officers- Instructor- DNA Analysis Laboratory:

“Avoiding Contamination”. Fall 2017

World of Genomics- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology:

Field Museum, Chicago, IL. 5/18-5/20- Designed human evolution exhibit 2017

Genome Day- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology:

Designed ancient DNA exhibit for kids. 11/12 2016

DNA Day- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology- oral presenter. 4/29 2016

Leal Elementary School- Science night, Urbana, IL. Scientist. 4/29 2016

Letters to a Pre-Scientist, pen pal program. 2014-2017

Summer Internship for Native Americans in Genomics (SING workshop) TA 8/15 2015

Champaign Public Library- Fruit Forensics Event, Champaign, IL. Scientist. 6/11 2015

Girls Explore Biology Camp. Urbana, IL, Scientist. 6/8 2015

Leal Elementary School- Science night, Urbana, IL. Scientist. 4/10 2015

Outreach Coordinator for Graduates in Ecology and Evolution Biology 2014-2015

Genomics for Prosecutors Workshop- Teaching Assistant. Fall 2014

Science at the Market. Volunteer scientist 10/18 2014

Girls Do Science Camp. Volunteer scientist. 6/10, 6/12 2014

Genomics for Judges Workshop- Teaching Assistant. Fall 2013

Southview Middle School- Science night. Danville, IL. Scientist. 11/18 2013

Graduate student helper- Girl Scouts Tree Badge, 6/29 2013

Girls Do Science Camp. Volunteer Scientist. 6/11 2013

Summer Internship for Native Americans in Genomics (SING workshop) TA. 8/13 2013

Frank Hall Elementary School- Science night, Aurora, IL. Scientist. 12/5 2012

Publications

Rocío Gómez, Miguel G Vilar, Marco Antonio Meraz-Ríos, David Véliz, Gerardo Zúñiga, Esther Alhelí Hernández-Tobías, Maria del Pilar Figueroa-Corona, Amanda C Owings, Jill B Gaieski, Theodore G Schurr, Genographic Consortium. 2021. Y chromosome diversity in Aztlan descendants and its implications for the history of Central Mexico. Iscience 24(5), 102487.

Owings, A.C., Fogleman, A.J., Zahnd, W.E., Jenkins, W.D., Malhi, R.S., Lipka, A.E. 2019. Population structure analyses provide insight into the source populations underlying rural isolated communities in Illinois. Hum. Biol. Feb 17;91(1):31-47. doi: 10.13110/humanbiology.91.1.05.

Owings, A.C., Johnson, J.W., Hughes, C.E., Li, H., Cui, Y., Malhi, R.S. (in prep) Mitochondrial DNA analysis from an ancient British Columbian population and their descendants and the effects of European colonization.

Catanach, T.A. Sweet, A.D., Nguyen, N.D., Peery, R.M., Debevec, A.H., Thomer, A.K., Owings, A.C., Boyd, B.M., Katz, A.D., Soto-Adames, F.N., Allen, J.M. 2019. Peer J. Fully automated sequence alignment methods outperform traditional methods for phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis B viruses.

Hughes, C.E., Rogers, M.P, Owings, A.C., Petzelt, B., Mitchell, J., Harry, H., Williams, T., Goldberg, D., Labuda, D., Glenn Smith, D., Cybulski, J.S., Malhi, R.S. 2016. Genetic structure of First Nation communities in the Pacific Northwest. Hum Biol 88(4):251-263.

Vilar, M.G., Melendez, C., Sanders, A.B., Walia, A., Gaieski, J.B., Owings, A.C., Schurr, T.G.; Genographic Consortium. 2014. Genetic diversity in Puerto Rico and its implications for the peopling of the Island and the West Indies. Am J Phys Anthropol, 155(3):352-68.

Elhaik, E., Tatarinova, T., Chebotarev, D., Piras, I.S., Calò, C., De Montis, A., Atzori, M., Marini, M., Tofanelli, S., Francalacci, P., Pagani, L., Tyler-Smith, C., Xue, Y., Cucca, F., Schurr, T.G., Gaieski, J.B., Melendez, C., Vilar, M.G., Owings, A.C., et al; Genographic Consortium. 2014. Geographic Population Structure analysis of worldwide human populations infers their biogeographical origins. Nature Commun, 5:3513. Corrigendum in Nat Commun. 2016. 31;7:13468. doi: 10.1038/ncomms13468.

Dulik, M.C., Owings, A.C., et al.; Genographic Consortium. 2012. Y-chromosome analysis reveals genetic divergence and new founding native lineages in Athapaskan- and Eskimoan-speaking populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 109(22):8471-6.

Schurr, T.G., Dulik, M.C., Owings, A.C., et al.; Genographic Consortium. 2012. Clan, language, and migration history has shaped genetic diversity in Haida and Tlingit populations from Southeast Alaska. Am J Phys Anthropol. 148(3):422-35.

Gaieski, J.B., Owings, A.C., et al.; Genographic Consortium. 2011. Genetic ancestry and indigenous heritage in a Native American descendant community in Bermuda. Am J Phys Anthropol. 146(3):392-405. Erratum in: Am J Phys Anthropol. 2012.148(3):486.

Consortium Publications

Member of The Genographic Project Consortium list 2011-2017

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Oral presentations

Owings, A.C. Hongjie Li, Gao S., Petzelt, B., Mitchell, J., Cybulski, J.S., Malhi, R.S. Demographic analysis of ancient individuals from British Columbia using mtDNA and Y-chromosome data. AAPA 87th Annual Meeting Program, 4/12 2018

Owings, A.C. Mitchell, J., Petzelt, B., Cybulski, J.S., Malhi, R.S. Impacts of European Colonization on an indigenous community in British Columbia. GEEB Symposium, 2/10. 2018

Owings, A.C., Cybulski, J.S., Malhi, R.S. Y-chromosome STR analysis of ancient individuals from British Columbia. AAPA 86th Annual Meeting Program, 4/20. 2017

Owings, A.C., Ripan S. Malhi. Sequencing Ancient British Colombian Individuals Using a High-Throughput method. GEEB Symposium, 2/14. 2015

Owings, A. et al. Inference of population history from the analysis of DNA from an ancient population and their descendants in British Columbia. GEEB Symposium 2/8. 2014

Owings, A.C., et al. Y-Chromosome ancient DNA analysis from Prince Rupert Harbour, Canada. Third Science and Archaeology in Urbana symposium. 2/21. 2014

Owings, A. et al. Preliminary DNA analysis of ancient Native American individuals from British Columbia. GEEB Symposium 2/9. 2013

Poster presentations

Owings, A.C., & Malhi, R.S. Prince Rupert Harbour mtDNA genetic analysis. 5th Science and Archaeology in Urbana symposium. 2/18 2016

M.G. Vilar, R. Gomez, H. Zillges, D. Brooks, A. Sanders, J.B. Gaieski, A.C. Owings, et al.; The Genographic Consortium. Genetic diversity in indigenous populations from Central Mexico and its implications for the peopling of the Americas. American Association of Physical Anthropologists 82nd Annual Meeting Program, April. 2013

T.G. Schurr, M.C. Dulik, M.G. Vilar, A.C. Owings, J.B. Gaieski. The timing and process of the colonization of South America: a North American perspective. American Association of Physical Anthropologists 81st Annual Meeting Program, April. 2012

T. Schurr, A. Owings, et al.; The Genographic Consortium. Genetic histories of Gwich’in and Inuvialuit populations of Northwest Territories, Canada. American Association of Physical Anthropologists 80th Annual Meeting Program, April. 2011

M. Vilar, J.K. Lum, C. Melendez, A. Owings, et al. Analysis of mtDNA haplogroup A2 frequency, distribution and diversity among populations from North and Central American and the Caribbean. American Association of Physical Anthropologists 80th Annual Meeting Program, April. 2011

Public Speaking

“The Biological Basis of Race?” Celebration event of Dr. Martin R. Delany. Presented at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. In partnership with the Moonstone Arts Center. 5-2012

Professional Associations

2015-present American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG)

2016-present American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA)

2012-present Association of Biological Anthropologists (ABA)

2012-2019 Graduate Students in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (GEEB)

Institutional Service

2015-2019 PEEC Seminar Committee

2016 18^th Annual GEEB Symposium- head judge

2014-2015 Outreach Coordinator for the Graduates in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Conferences attended

2016 Illinois GIS Day, 11-15-16

2015-2016 21^st Century Scientists Workshop

2015 The Women Empowered in STEM (weSTEM) Conference

2011-2019 American Association of Physical Anthropologists Meetings

Consortium Publications

2015 Genome-wide signatures of male-mediated migration shaping the Indian gene pool. ArunKumar G, Tatarinova TV, Duty J, Rollo D, Syama A, Arun VS, Kavitha VJ, Triska P, Greenspan B, Wells RS, Pitchappan R; Genographic Consortium. J Hum Genet. 2015 May 21. doi: 10.1038/jhg.2015.51.

2014 From cheek swabs to consensus sequences: an A to Z protocol for high-throughput DNA sequencing of complete human mitochondrial genomes.Clarke AC, Prost S, Stanton JA, White WT, Kaplan ME, Matisoo-Smith EA; Genographic Consortium. BMC Genomics. 2014 Jan 25;15:68. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-68.

2013 Ancient DNA reveals key stages in the formation of central European mitochondrial genetic diversity. Brandt G, Haak W, Adler CJ, Roth C, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Karimnia S, Möller-Rieker S, Meller H, Ganslmeier R, Friederich S, Dresely V, Nicklisch N, Pickrell JK, Sirocko F, Reich D, Cooper A, Alt KW; Genographic Consortium. Science. 2013 Oct 11;342(6155):257-61. doi: 10.1126/science.1241844.

2013 Uniparental markers in Italy reveal a sex-biased genetic structure and different historical strata. Boattini A, Martinez-Cruz B, Sarno S, Harmant C, Useli A, Sanz P, Yang-Yao D, Manry J, Ciani G, Luiselli D, Quintana-Murci L, Comas D, Pettener D; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2013 May 29;8(5):e65441. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065441. Print 2013.

2013 The GenoChip: a new tool for genetic anthropology. Elhaik E, Greenspan E, Staats S, Krahn T, Tyler-Smith C, Xue Y, Tofanelli S, Francalacci P, Cucca F, Pagani L, Jin L, Li H, Schurr TG, Greenspan B, Spencer Wells R; Genographic Consortium. Genome Biol Evol. 2013;5(5):1021-31. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evt066.

2013 Neolithic mitochondrial haplogroup H genomes and the genetic origins of Europeans. Brotherton P, Haak W, Templeton J, Brandt G, Soubrier J, Jane Adler C, Richards SM, Sarkissian CD, Ganslmeier R, Friederich S, Dresely V, van Oven M, Kenyon R, Van der Hoek MB, Korlach J, Luong K, Ho SY, Quintana-Murci L, Behar DM, Meller H, Alt KW, Cooper A; Genographic Consortium, Adhikarla S, Ganesh Prasad AK, Pitchappan R, Varatharajan Santhakumari A, Balanovska E, Balanovsky O, Bertranpetit J, Comas D, Martínez-Cruz B, Melé M, Clarke AC, Matisoo-Smith EA, Dulik MC, Gaieski JB, Owings AC, Schurr TG, Vilar MG, Hobbs A, Soodyall H, Javed A, Parida L, Platt DE, Royyuru AK, Jin L, Li S, Kaplan ME, Merchant NC, John Mitchell R, Renfrew C, Lacerda DR, Santos FR, Soria Hernanz DF, Spencer Wells R, Swamikrishnan P, Tyler-Smith C, Paulo Vieira P, Ziegle JS. Nat Commun. 2013;4:1764. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2656.

2013 Ancient DNA reveals prehistoric gene-flow from siberia in the complex human population history of North East Europe. Der Sarkissian C, Balanovsky O, Brandt G, Khartanovich V, Buzhilova A, Koshel S, Zaporozhchenko V, Gronenborn D, Moiseyev V, Kolpakov E, Shumkin V, Alt KW, Balanovska E, Cooper A, Haak W; Genographic Consortium. PLoS Genet. 2013;9(2):e1003296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003296. Epub 2013 Feb 14.

2013 Y-chromosome and mtDNA genetics reveal significant contrasts in affinities of modern Middle Eastern populations with European and African populations. Badro DA, Douaihy B, Haber M, Youhanna SC, Salloum A, Ghassibe-Sabbagh M, Johnsrud B, Khazen G, Matisoo-Smith E, Soria-Hernanz DF, Wells RS, Tyler-Smith C, Platt DE, Zalloua PA; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54616. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054616. Epub 2013 Jan 30.

2012 Population differentiation of southern Indian male lineages correlates with agricultural expansions predating the caste system. Arunkumar G, Soria-Hernanz DF, Kavitha VJ, Arun VS, Syama A, Ashokan KS, Gandhirajan KT, Vijayakumar K, Narayanan M, Jayalakshmi M, Ziegle JS, Royyuru AK, Parida L, Wells RS, Renfrew C, Schurr TG, Smith CT, Platt DE, Pitchappan R; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e50269.

2012 Y-chromosome analysis in individuals bearing the Basarab name of the first dynasty of Wallachian kings. Martinez-Cruz B, Ioana M, Calafell F, Arauna LR, Sanz P, Ionescu R, Boengiu S, Kalaydjieva L, Pamjav H, Makukh H, Plantinga T, van der Meer JW, Comas D, Netea MG; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2012;7(7).

2012 Afghanistan's ethnic groups share a Y-chromosomal heritage structured by historical events. Haber M, Platt DE, Ashrafian Bonab M, Youhanna SC, Soria-Hernanz DF, Martínez-Cruz B, Douaihy B, Ghassibe-Sabbagh M, Rafatpanah H, Ghanbari M, Whale J, Balanovsky O, Wells RS, Comas D, Tyler-Smith C, Zalloua PA; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2012;7(3).

2012 Evidence of pre-roman tribal genetic structure in basques from uniparentally inherited markers. Martínez-Cruz B, Harmant C, Platt DE, Haak W, Manry J, Ramos-Luis E, Soria-Hernanz DF, Bauduer F, Salaberria J, Oyharçabal B, Quintana-Murci L, Comas D; Genographic Consortium. Mol Biol Evol. 2012 Sep;29(9):2211-22

2012 Mitochondrial origin of the matrilocal Mosuo people in China. Lu Y, Wang C, Qin Z, Wen B, Farina SE, Jin L, Li H; Genographic Consortium. Mitochondrial DNA. 2012 Feb;23(1):13-9.

2012 Y-chromosome O3 haplogroup diversity in Sino-Tibetan populations reveals two migration routes into the eastern Himalayas. Kang L, Lu Y, Wang C, Hu K, Chen F, Liu K, Li S, Jin L, Li H; Genographic Consortium. Ann Hum Genet. 2012 Jan;76(1):92-9.

2012 Recombination networks as genetic markers in a human variation study of the Old World. Javed A, Melé M, Pybus M, Zalloua P, Haber M, Comas D, Netea MG, Balanovsky O, Balanovska E, Jin L, Yang Y, Arunkumar G, Pitchappan R, Bertranpetit J, Calafell F, Parida L; Genographic Consortium. Hum Genet. 2012 Apr;131(4):601-13.

2011 Human migration through bottlenecks from Southeast Asia into East Asia during Last Glacial Maximum revealed by Y chromosomes. Cai X, Qin Z, Wen B, Xu S, Wang Y, Lu Y, Wei L, Wang C, Li S, Huang X, Jin L, Li H; Genographic Consortium. PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e24282.

2012 Recombination gives a new insight in the effective population size and the history of the old world human populations. Melé M, Javed A, Pybus M, Zalloua P, Haber M, Comas D, Netea MG, Balanovsky O, Balanovska E, Jin L, Yang Y, Pitchappan RM, Arunkumar G, Parida L, Calafell F, Bertranpetit J; Genographic Consortium. Mol Biol Evol. 2012 Jan;29(1):25-30.

2011 Parallel evolution of genes and languages in the Caucasus region. Balanovsky O, Dibirova K, Dybo A, Mudrak O, Frolova S, Pocheshkhova E, Haber M, Platt D, Schurr T, Haak W, Kuznetsova M, Radzhabov M, Balaganskaya O, Romanov A, Zakharova T, Soria Hernanz DF, Zalloua P, Koshel S, Ruhlen M, Renfrew C, Wells RS, Tyler-Smith C, Balanovska E; Genographic Consortium. Mol Biol Evol. 2011 Oct;28(10):2905-20.

2011 An updated tree of Y-chromosome Haplogroup O and revised phylogenetic positions of mutations P164 and PK4. Yan S, Wang CC, Li H, Li SL, Jin L; Genographic Consortium. Eur J Hum Genet. 2011 Sep;19(9):1013-5.

2011 Positive selection on mitochondrial M7 lineages among the Gelong people in Hainan. Yang K, Zheng H, Qin Z, Lu Y, Farina SE, Li S, Jin L, Li D, Li H; Genographic Consortium. J Hum Genet. 2011 Mar;56(3):253-6.

2010 A new method to reconstruct recombination events at a genomic scale. Melé M, Javed A, Pybus M, Calafell F, Parida L, Bertranpetit J; Genographic Consortium Members. PLoS Comput Biol. 2010 Nov 24;6(11).

2011 Influences of history, geography, and religion on genetic structure: the Maronites in Lebanon. Haber M, Platt DE, Badro DA, Xue Y, El-Sibai M, Bonab MA, Youhanna SC, Saade S, Soria-Hernanz DF, Royyuru A, Wells RS, Tyler-Smith C, Zalloua PA; Genographic Consortium. Eur J Hum Genet. 2011 Mar;19(3):334-40.

2010 Ancient DNA from European early neolithic farmers reveals their near eastern affinities. Haak W, Balanovsky O, Sanchez JJ, Koshel S, Zaporozhchenko V, Adler CJ, Der Sarkissian CS, Brandt G, Schwarz C, Nicklisch N, Dresely V, Fritsch B, Balanovska E, Villems R, Meller H, Alt KW, Cooper A; Members of the Genographic Consortium. PLoS Biol. 2010 Nov 9;8(11):e1000536

2010 A mitochondrial revelation of early human migrations to the Tibetan Plateau before and after the last glacial maximum. Qin Z, Yang Y, Kang L, Yan S, Cho K, Cai X, Lu Y, Zheng H, Zhu D, Fei D, Li S, Jin L, Li H; Genographic Consortium. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2010 Dec;143(4):555-69.

SKILLS

Adobe Illustrator, ArcMap, Arlequin, BEAST, BEAUti, BioEdit, Excel, DNAsp, GenAlEx, Geneious, Genemapper, Git, Haploview, Inkscape, MapDamage, MEGA, Network, PopArt, PowerPoint, PuTTY, R & RStudio, SAMtools, Sequencher, WinSCP, and Word.

Lab techniques