Maanasa Raghavan
Associate Professor
Email: mraghavan[AT]uchicago.edu
Maanasa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Genetics. Maanasa earned a PhD from the University of Copenhagen in 2011 and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for GeoGenetics, Denmark (2012-2015) and a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge (2016-2018). Maanasa's doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on the early peopling of the Americas using ancient genomics. Her current research leverages modern and ancient DNA to investigate how and when patterns of worldwide genetic diversity were formed and implications for present-day human health and disease. Outside of the lab/office, Maanasa enjoys playing the drums, fussing over her cats, and watching hockey (Go Leafs!).
Natividad Lupiáñez-Corpas
Lab technician
Email: nlupianezcorpas[AT]uchicago.edu
Natividad is a Research Technician interested in ancient DNA, Anthropology and Zooarchaeology. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and earned a Master’s in Physical and Forensic Anthropology (University of Granada). During her Master’s, she undertook an Erasmus+ Internship at the University of Leuven that gave her the opportunity to start working on an ancient DNA project. After working as a Project Manager, she returned to the field of Palaeogenomics, mainly working with faunal samples (CSIC). At Genscape, she heads daily upkeep of the ancient and modern laboratories and supports various research projects. When not in the lab nor trying to survive Chicago’s freezing climate, she enjoys spending time with her dog, traveling and visiting museums.
Brooke Bowman
PhD Student (Human Genetics)
Email: bkbowman[AT]uchicago.edu
Brooke is a PhD candidate in Human Genetics whose research focuses on human population history at the intersection of anthropology and genetics. She is currently working on a project characterizing genetic diversity among tribal communities in the Chitral region of Pakistan. Before coming to UChicago, she earned a degree in Biology with minors in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Missouri. Her undergraduate research focused on the genetic engineering of animal models of human disease, culminating in a senior thesis in which she developed a rat model of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Outside of the lab, Brooke enjoys playing with her two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Zuri and Basel, building LEGOs, and traveling.
Shreya Ramachandran
Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: shreya23[AT]uchicago.edu
Shreya is a postdoc interested in the microbes that live in, on, and around us. She completed her PhD in Human Genetics at the University of Chicago in 2026, with a focus on gut microbiome transitions in present-day South Asian populations and the evolutionary history of Streptococcus mutans in pre-contact Chile using paleogenomics. Before coming to Chicago, she graduated from Stanford University with her BS (2016) and MS (2017) in Biology and spent a year on a Fulbright fellowship in Maria Avila's lab in Querétaro, Mexico. Shreya's current project focuses on investigating historical microbiomes associated with colorectal cancer using FFPE samples. When she's not thinking about bacteria, she likes reading, baking, and solving crossword puzzles (sometimes competitively).
David Witonsky
Bioinformatician
Email: wito[AT]uchicago.edu
David is a bioinformatician and genetic data analyst who has worked in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago for over 15 years. During these years, he has worked closely with the labs of Anna Di Rienzo, John Novembre, and Sonia Kupfer developing and applying a diverse array of statistical and computational methods in research directed towards uncovering the mechanisms giving rise to phenotypic diversity in modern humans. Much of this work has focused on the genetic adaptation of humans to the unique stresses of high altitude environments. In his spare time, David likes to relieve his own stress by running and playing the piano.
