Welcome to The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics
The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics (CEFG) is home to 28 active research groups who use cutting-edge technology to further our understanding of complex biological systems and processes. The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics is at the forefront of research on non-model organisms studying gene-regulation underpinning development and behaviour, evolution of adaptive phenotypes, social organisation, and biological complexity.
Specifically, we build on traditional model systems to transpose multi-omics approaches to non-model organisms. Our interdisciplinary approach combines molecular biology, microscopy, computational biology, and in vivo experiments to study biological processes from the molecular level to a macroevolutionary scale.
Collectively, we seek to gain a functional understanding of how genomes generate the complexity of life on Earth. With this knowledge, we tackle the global challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, food security, disease prevention and healthy aging.
Research in the Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics is highly collaborative maintaining partnerships with leading institutions worldwide, fostering a global network of researchers to advance our understanding of genomics and biology. The centre benefits from access to state-of-the-art imaging, genomic and animal facilities. Our genome research is also an important component of our postgraduate education, being central to the “Bioinformatics”, “AI in the Biosciences”, and “Biodiversity and Conservation” MSc programmes at QMUL.
Events
![]() 10:00 - 18:30 | UK EvoDevo ![]() Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics |
Recent Publications
- Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes.
Richards TA, Eme L, Archibald JM, Leonard G, Coelho SM, de Mendoza A, Dessimoz C, Dolezal P, Fritz-Laylin LK, Gabaldón T, Hampl V, Kops GJPL, Leger MM, Lopez-Garcia P, McInerney JO, Moreira D, Muñoz-Gómez SA, Richter DJ, Ruiz-Trillo I, Santoro AE, et al.
Plos Biology, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 22 (11), e3002917-e3002917.
25-11-2024 - Bayesian Selection of Relaxed-Clock Models: Distinguishing between Independent and Autocorrelated Rates
Panchaksaram M, Freitas L and dos Reis M
Systematic Biology, Oxford University Press (Oup)
21-11-2024 - The emergence of Sox and POU transcription factors predates the origins of animal stem cells
Gao Y, Tan DS, Girbig M, Hu H, Zhou X, Xie Q, Yeung SW, Lee KS, Ho SY, Cojocaru V, Yan J, Hochberg GKA, de Mendoza A and Jauch R
Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 15 (1)
14-11-2024
Recent Grants
- Using Population Genetics to Address Metabolic Health Disparities in East London's Diverse Ethnic Populations
Moneeza Kalhan Siddiqui, Segun Fatumo, Matteo Fumagalli and Sarah Finer
£74,125 Barts and the London Charity
24-02-2025 - 23-02-2026 - Exploring the cooperativity of the POU-SOX stemness regulators during early animal evolution
Alexandre De Mendoza Soler
£3,000 Royal Society
01-02-2025 - 01-02-2026 - Synthetic clinical data for underrepresented populations: a UK-France alliance
Matteo Fumagalli, Moneeza Kalhan Siddiqui and Venet Osmani
£9,500 DSIT Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
01-01-2025 - 31-03-2025