The Institute of Evolutionary Medicine
At the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM) researchers from fields as varied as medicine, anthropology, paleopathology, ancient DNA and proteomics research, egyptology, history, epidemiology, human morphology, and imaging work together on interdisciplinary research questions in the field of Evolutionary Medicine, such as:
- How does the past (for example, the evolutionary origins of diseases) inform the present and the future?
- How does clinical medicine benefit from studying the evolutionary perspectives of health and diseases?
- How does modern medical data contribute to understand the evolution of human health and diseases?
- How do evolutionary vulnerabilities of human anatomy/physiology contribute to disease susceptibility and progression?
- How effectively do ancient samples, such as skeletal and mummified remains, act as a major source for the study of the evolution of disease?
As one of the institute’s main areas of interest is the study of historical human remains. The IEM favours a continuous reflection on ethical standards (see the IEM Code of Ethics).