Bastien Llamas

Associate Professor Bastien Llamas

Associate Professor

School of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Assoc. Prof. Bastien Llamas is a former ARC Future Fellow and is affiliated with the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD). He is also Honorary Research Associate in the Indigenous Genomics team of the Telethon Kids Institute, Honorary Associate Professor at the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG) at the Australian National University, and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH). He aims to integrate past and present Indigenous genetic diversity from populations around the world to understand how humans adapt to their environment.

Background

Assoc. Prof. Bastien Llamas pursued graduate studies in the area of biomedical research where he concentrated on mapping genes with phenotypic effects in animal models, particularly those associated with disease. During this training he developed expertise in the areas of molecular genomics and bioinformatics, forged by years of training in four research institutes in France (CNRS, Pasteur Institute, INSERM) and Canada (Montreal Cardiac Research Institute, IRCM).

During his postdoctoral appointments in Australia, Assoc. Prof. Llamas has undertaken intensive training in bioinformatics and High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) techniques through a series of overseas workshops and research visits. He has implemented these methods at the University of Adelaide's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) to facilitate the transition from PCR-based to HTS-based ancient DNA analysis, and trained students and postdoctoral researchers in HTS data generation and processing. To further disseminate his expertise in HTS data analysis, he has co-organised local, national, and international bioinformatics workshops, including the annual ACAD International ECR Bioinformatics Workshop.

Assoc. Prof. Llamas now intends to merge cutting-edge methods and knowledge from biomedical research with archaeological and evolutionary questions and datasets, in truly multi-disciplinary projects at ACAD and at the Australian National University's Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG), where he is a Visiting Fellow.

Current Research

Assoc. Prof. Llamas investigates genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and host-microbiome interactions that facilitate human adaptation to diverse environmental and cultural stressors. He intends to combine a range of advanced new analytical methods (e.g., long-read sequencing, genome graphs) to integrate past and present Indigenous genetic diversity from populations around the world into a new human pangenome reference.

Assoc. Prof. Llamas' other projects at ACAD target several topics in evolutionary biology, population genomics and medical genomics, including:

  • Genomic resources for Indigenous Australians.
  • The genetic history of Indigenous Australia.
  • The genetic consequences of colonisation on the immune system of indigenous societies, with a focus on the dramatic South American population collapse after European colonisers introduced new Old World diseases.
  • The migration history of anatomically modern humans and the reconstruction of major peopling events across the globe.
 
Media Outreach and Science Popularisation
  • SBS three-part series “DNA Nation” on ancient human migrations and evolution, and accompanying interview
  • Radio Adelaide interviews on various topics in evolutionary biology
  • Radio Canada interview on the impact of early farming and the Industrial Revolution on the oral health (in French)
  • Some of the mainstream newspaper and online articles based on Dr Llamas' research publications can be found here. Dr Llamas' research has received a considerable amount of media attention, and he has performed many interviews in Australia (including SBS, ABC, The Australian, The Examiner), the USA (National Geographic, Science Magazine), Canada (including Radio Canada), New Zealand (including Radio New Zealand National), France (Le Monde), Spain (including Agencia Efe, El Pais, La Vanguardia), and Chile (El Mercurio)
  •  Contributions to the blog of the French Canadian Science Press Agency "Agence Science Presse". Some posts were published in the book "Science, on blogue!" © Éditions MultiMondes, 2007
  • Collaborations with Adelaide Compass, a group that works with students from low socio-economic status, regional and indigenous communities, increasing student exposure to the university environment through relevant and engaging curriculum-linked programs

 

Interested in epigenetics research in South Australia? Join EpiCSA now!

Epigenetics Consortium of South Australia Inc (EpiCSA)

 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2023 - 2026 Honorary Research Associate Telethon Kids Institute
    2023 - ongoing Associate Professor and Reader in Human Genetics University of Adelaide
    2022 - 2027 Honorary Associate Professor Australian National University
    2022 - 2023 Head, Genome Biology and Evolutionary Medicine Telethon Kids Institute
    2022 - 2023 Associate Professor University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2022 Visiting Fellow Australian National University
    2018 - 2021 ARC Future Fellow University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2017 University Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2016 Senior Research Associate University of Adelaide
    2013 - 2015 Senior Research Associate University of Adelaide
    2010 - 2013 ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow University of Adelaide
    2009 - 2010 Research Associate Flinders University
    2009 - 2009 Postdoctoral Researcher University of Adelaide
    2008 - 2009 Postdoctoral Researcher University of Adelaide
    2007 - 2008 Postdoctoral Researcher Institut de Recherche Clinique de Montréal (IRCM)
    2003 - 2007 PhD candidate Institut de Recherche Clinique de Montréal (IRCM)
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    French Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Spanish; Castilian Can read, speak and understand spoken
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2003 - 2007 University of Montreal Canada PhD in Molecular Biology
    2000 - 2001 Bordeaux Segalen University France MSc in Neurosciences
    1997 - 1999 University of Paris-Sud France BSc in Genetics and Evolution
    1994 - 1997 University of Marne la Vallée France Diploma of Higher Education
  • Research Interests

Grants and Funding
  • 2023–2025: National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas 2021172: "Indigenous telomere-2-telomere human reference genomes to enable discovery, translation and innovations." Investigators: Hardip Patel, Azure Hermes, Karen Miga, Andre Luiz Martins Reis, Yu Lin, Paul Waters, Bastien Llamas. AUD 2,549,487
  • 2022–2027: Medical Research Future Fund, 2021 Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant MRF2016124: "Pathways to benefit for Indigenous Australians in genomic medicine." Investigators: Alex Brown, Johanna Barclay, Gareth Baynam, Shayne Bellingham, James Breen, Ngiare Brown, Vanessa Bryant, Rebecca D'Souza, Marcel Dinger, Clara Gaff, Kalinda Griffiths, David Hansen, Karen Hawke, Azure Hermes, Sharon Huebner, Elina Hypponen, Jodie Ingles, David James, Misty Jenkins, Jason Kovacic, Timo Lassmann, Bastien Llamas, Raymond Lovett, David Lynn, Louise Lyons, Daniel MacArthur, Graham Mann, Julie McGaughran, Rebekah McWhirter, Sarah Medland, Kim Morey, Shivashankar Hiriyur Nagaraj, Kristen Nowak, Nathan O'Callaghan, Hardip Patel, Glenn Pearson, Odette Pearson, Gregory Pratt, Boe Rambaldini, Simone Reynolds, Stephen Simpson, Charlotte Slade, Yassine Souilmi, David Thomas, Maree Toombs, Mark Wenitong, Jean Yang. AUD 4,986,948
  • 2022–2027: National Health and Medical Research Council Synergy 2011277: "Respecting the Gift - Empowering Indigenous Communities in Genomic Medicine." Investigators: Alex Brown, Azure Hermes, Gregory Pratt, Kalinda Griffiths, Graham Mann, Simon Easteal, Bastien Llamas, Gareth Baynam, Sharon Huebner, Daniel MacArthur. AUD 5,000,000
  • 2022–2024: Medical Research Future Fund, 2021 Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant MRF2016008: "Developing a long-read nanopore sequencing platform for Indigenous genomics." Investigators: Ira Deveson, Gareth Baynam, Hasindu Gamaarachchi, Bastien Llamas, Daniel MacArthur, Amali Mallawaarachchi, Graham Mann, Andre Luiz Martins Reis, Hardip Patel, Yassine Souilmi. AUD 986,060
  • 2022–2024: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence CE170100015: "ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage." Investigators: Richard Roberts, Susan O'Connor, Zenobia Jacobs, Timothy Cohen, Simon Haberle, Michael Bird, Sean Ulm, Nicholas Nakata, Corey Bradshaw, Bruno David, Lynette Russell, Barry Brook, Christopher Johnson, Brit Asmussen, Michael Slack, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Matthew Leavesley, Michael Storey, Ian McNiven, Kristofer Helgen, Geraldine Mate, Vera Weisbecker, Janelle Stevenson, Nathan Wright, Shirley Agostinho, Shane Ingrey, Bastien Llamas, Elizabeth Muller. AUD 33,750,000 [Chief Investigator role from 1 Jan 2022, but grant was awarded in 2017]
  • 2022–2023: Sandland Bequest: "Pandemic Preparedness: Viral Discovery and Characterisation in Adelaide's Botanic Park Grey-Headed Flying Fox Colony." Investigators: Kylie Van der Hoek, Michael Beard, Wayne Boardman, Anne-Lise Chaber, Bastien Llamas, Vilma Perez, Thomas Prowse, Charles Caraguel, Farhid Hemmatzadeh. AUD 55,600
  • 2019-2021: Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP190103705: "Australian Heritage: Constructing the first Aboriginal reference genome." Investigators: Bastien Llamas, Brad Chapman, Erik Garrison, Lars Fehren-Schmitz. AUD435,000
  • 2018-2021: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship FT170100448: "An integrated molecular approach to human evolution." Investigator: Bastien Llamas. AUD684,053
  • 2016-2018: Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous IN160100007: "The genomic history of Indigenous Australia." Investigators: Raymond Tobler, Bastien Llamas, Keryn Walshe, Peter Sutton, David Reich, Chris Tyler-Smith, Wolfgang Haak. AUD635,000
  • 2015-2017: Hermon Slade Foundation: "Resolving the taxonomic status of ecologically keystone and threatened bats in New Guinea." Investigators: Kyle Armstrong, Ken Aplin, Bastien Llamas. AUD84,800
  • 2013-16: Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP130100646: "The role of epigenetic modifications in bovid adaptation to environmental change." Investigators: Alan Cooper, Catherine M Suter, Mike J Wilkinson, Stefan G Hiendleder, Bastien Llamas, John R Stephen, Jeremy F Taylor, Daniel H Densham. AUD1,121,145 (ARC contribution AUD554,645)
  • 2013-15: Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP130102158: "Refining the timescale of human evolution and dispersal using ancient DNA." Investigators: Wolfgang Haak, Simon Ho, Bastien Llamas, Doron Behar. AUD270,000 [Investigator role relinquished to become the project's Research Associate]
  • 2010-12: Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP1095782: "A shipload of consequences: studying the impact of Old World diseases on native South American populations via ancient DNA." Investigators: Wolfgang Haak, Bastien Llamas, Lluis Quintana-Murci, Austin L. Hughes. AUD360,000
Awards, scholarships and fellowships
  • The Genetics Society of AustralAsia Ross Crozier Medal — 2023
  • University of Adelaide's Faculty of Sciences Mid-Career Research Excellence, Order of Merit — 2021.
  • HLA Award of the European Federation for Immunogenetics annual conference — 2021.
  • Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, 2018-2021
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, 2017-2019 [relinquished to take up Future Fellowship]
  • Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellowship of the University of Adelaide, 2017
  • Overseas Conference Travel Award of the University of Adelaide Faculty of Sciences, 2015
  • Travel award of the Centre for Research in Mathematics of the University of Montreal, October 2013
  • Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2010-2013
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship (Quebec Fund for Research on Nature and Technologies), 2010-2012
  • Overseas Conference Travel Award of the University of Adelaide Faculty of Sciences, 2011
  • Writing scholarship of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Montreal, 2007
  • Travel award of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Montreal, 2006
  • Travel award of the International Mammalian Genome Conference, Strasbourg, France, 2005
  • Educational award of the Canadian Hypertension Society, 2005
  • André Caillé scholarship of the IRCM, 2005-2006
  • Scholarship of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Montreal, 2004-2005
  • Travel award of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Montreal, 2004
  • AstraZeneca R&D presentation award, 10th Scientific Day of the Molecular Biology Programs of the University of Montreal, 2004
  • Scholarship of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Montreal, 2003-2004
  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Co-Supervisor Using sedimentary DNA from caves to reconstruct past plant and animal communities in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Siobhan Esther Evans
    2022 Principal Supervisor Applied Indigenous Genomics Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Dawn Alison Lewis
    2022 Principal Supervisor New methods for integrating temporal environmental and genetic data Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Shyamsundar Ravishankar
    2022 Principal Supervisor Genetic Continuity and Population Dynamics in Eastern Indonesia Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Leonard .
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Reconstructing the Population History of Wallacea and Sahul Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Gludhug Ariyo Purnomo
    2021 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Advances in Genomic Data Compression Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Divon Mordechai Lan
    2021 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Frontiers in paleogenomics: Methodological challenges and multidisciplinary studies of human past in South America Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Roberta Lynn Davidson
    2020 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Post-contact evolutionary immunogenetics in Indigenous peoples of America Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Evelyn Jane Collen
    2020 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Gut microbiome insights into the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Gina Lucille Guzzo
    2019 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Human demographic insights from paleogenetic studies of American and Iberian skeletal remains Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Xavier Roca Rada
    2019 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Quantifying and Reducing Biases in Paleogenomic Research Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Adrien Oliva
    2019 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Unsettling epigenetics: contested understandings of trauma and evidence in settler colonial Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Henrietta Rose Byrne
    2017 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Inferring the Characteristics of Ancient Populations using Bioinformatic Analysis of Genome-wide DNA Sequencing Data Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Graham Gower
    2017 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Exploring the Genetic History of the Ancient Near East through the Bronze
    and Iron Ages
    Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Matthew Peter Williams
    2016 - 2019 Principal Supervisor The Role of Epigenetic Modifications and Microbiome Evolution in Bovid Adaption to Environmental Changes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Yichen Liu
    2015 - 2018 Co-Supervisor The 'next generation’ of ancient DNA research: a series of methods and approaches to improve our understanding of the evolutionary history of species in general, and European bison in particular Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Ayla Lore van Loenen
    2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Climate-Driven Ecological Changes Through the Last Glacial Period: Innovations in Plant Ancient DNA and Stable Isotope Palaeoecology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Tim Rabanus-Wallace
    2011 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Ancient DNA from pre-Columbian South America Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Guido Marcelo Valverde Garnica
  • Position: Associate Professor
  • Phone: 83130262
  • Email: bastien.llamas@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134364
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Darling, floor Second Floor
  • Room: 206
  • Org Unit: Molecular and Biomedical Science

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