Kevin Daly

My research utilizes palaeogenomics - using DNA recovered from ancient material to study living things in the past. I have a particular focus on domestication of small ruminants, sheep and goats, and of the pathogens with affect them. With these ancient genomes, we can peek back into prehistory to see how animals have evolved, what were past patterns of biodiversity and how they have changed, and the forces shaping modern animal diversity.

I currently hold (2022-2026) an SFI/IRC Pathways Award for the project "Herd Health", exploring small ruminant health and pathogen evolution at the dawn of domestication. This project is exploring how animal pathogens evolved at the beginning of domestication and if early management practices impacted the genetic health of sheep and goat. From 2026, I will lead the ERC Starting grant project "HERDPATH", which will explore the co-evolution of livestock and pathogens since domestication, with a particular focus on immune gene diversity.