Medical Phylogenomics Lab
Dr. Natterson-Horowitz mentors the next generation of medical professionals and scientists in her Phylogeny Lab. A select group of medical students, undergraduates, graduate students, physicians, and veterinarians work closely with Dr. Natterson-Horowitz developing new approaches for identifying evolutionary insights into the causes of human illness and the development of novel treatment strategies.
Meet her current lab members here.
Photo by Alisha Jucevic
Recent Publications, Presentations, and Theses
Featuring Lab Members
Natterson-Horowitz, B., Moore, Bret A., Reynolds, Amelia, Espericueta, Luisa, Head, Jennifer M., Lam, Dang, Turner, Ryan, Williams, Dana M., Blumstein, Daniel T. Cataracts Across the Tree of Life: A Roadmap for Prevention and Biomedical Innovation. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.01.007. PDF.
Natterson-Horowitz, B., Reynolds, Amelia. Beyond the Laboratory: Emerging Landscape of Animal Studies – the Influence of National Academies of Sciences Activities and Publications, ILAR Journal, 2022; ilac010, doi: 10.1093/ilar/ilac010. PDF.
Natterson-Horowitz, B. and Cho, J.H. Stress, subordination and anomalies of feeding across the tree of life: Implications for interpreting human eating disorders. Frontiers in Psychology 2021. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727554. PDF.
Horowitz, B. N., Baccouche, B. M., Head, Jennifer Mary, Shivkumar, Tejas, Bertelsen, Mads Frost, Aalkjær, Christian, Smerup, Morten H., Ajijola, Olujimi A., Hadaya, Joseph, Wang, Tobias. Did Giraffe Cardiovascular Evolution Solve the Problem of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction? Evolution, Medicine and Public Health 2021:248-255. doi: 10.1093/emph/eoab016. PDF.
Chan, Stephanie J., Nutting, Veronica, I., Natterson, Talia A., Horowitz, Barbara N. Impacts of Psychopharmaceuticals on the Neurodevelopment of Aquatic Wildlife: A Call for Increased Knowledge Exchange across Disciplines to Highlight Implications for Human Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021. 18(10). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105094. PDF.
For a more complete list of Dr. Natterson-Horowitz’s recent publications, see here.
International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health (ISEMPH) 2024 Annual Meeting
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: An Evolutionary Byproduct of Selection for Beneficial Cardiovascular Physiology
- Molly Abroms, Alin Mazmanian, Alix Masters, M.D., Kaitlyn Smolens, Noa Oramin, Karam Gill, M.D., Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
The Placental Origins of Cardiovascular Sexual Dimorphism: A Novel Hypothesis Linking Placental Morphology and Cardiovascular Sex Differences in Eutherian Mammals
- Camille Dash, B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) as an Evolutionary Trade Off: A Novel Methodology for Identifying Selective Pressures Linked to POTS Vulnerability
- Alin Mazmanian, Kaitlyn Smolens, Molly Abroms, Noa Oranim, Alix Masters, M.D., Karam Gill, M.D., B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTCM) as an Evolutionary Trade Off: A Novel Methodology for Identifying Selective Pressures Linked to TTCM Vulnerability
- Alin Mazmanian, Kaitlyn Smolens, Molly Abroms, Noa Oranim, Alix Masters, M.D., Karam Gill, M.D., B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) as an Evolutionary Byproduct: Identifying the Critical Cardiovascular Physiologies Which Shape the Phenotype of Vulnerability to AF
- Noa Oranim, Alix Masters, M.D., Alin Mazmanian, Molly Abroms, Kaitlyn Smolens, Karam Gill, M.D., B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
The Evolutionary Origins of Ocular Cataracts: Leveraging bioinformatics and phylogenetics to visualize selective pressures underlying vulnerability to cataracts
- Kaitlyn Smolens, Alin Mazmanian, Alix Masters, M.D., Molly Abroms, Noa Oranim, Karam Gill, M.D., B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
The Evolutionary Origins of Sick Sinus Syndrome: Leveraging bioinformatics and phylogenetics to visualize selective pressures underlying vulnerability to SSS
- Kaitlyn Smolens, Alin Mazmanian, Alix Masters, M.D., Molly Abroms, Noa Oranim, Karam Gill, M.D., B. Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.
International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health (ISEMPH) 2023 Annual Meeting
Sex Differences in Sports-Related Concussion: An Evolutionary Hypothesis Supported by Pathway Analysis [View Poster]
- Zoey Marsh, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
A Phylogenetic and Level of Evidence Analysis of Phenotypic Masculinization across Vertebrates [View Poster]
- Noa Oranim, Michael Habib, PhD, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Leveraging Systems Biology & Bioinformatics Platforms to Identify Evolutionary Trade-Offs Underlying Atherogenesis and Atherosclerosis [View Poster]
- Kaitlyn Smolens, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Evolution-Guided Biomedical Innovation: Leveraging Evolved Adaptations to Ambient Volcanic Particulate Matter in Other Species for Human Health
- Emily Schwitzer, MD, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health (ISEMPH) 2021 Annual Meeting
Theories on the Causal Mechanisms of Endometriosis: Review of Endometriosis Vulnerability Across Mammalian Species
- Ainsley Belisle, Talia Natterson, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Impacts of Psychopharmaceuticals on the Neurodevelopment of Aquatic Wildlife: A Call for Increased Knowledge Exchange across Disciplines to Highlight Implications for Human Health
- Stephanie Chan, Veronica Nutting, Talia Natterson, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Insights for Human Gynecology from the Phylogeny of Menstruating Mammals
- Talia Natterson, Ainsley Belisle, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Interindividual Variation in Vulnerability to Takotsubo Syndrome: Insights From Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic Perspectives
- Liana Owen, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
A Proposed Mechanistic Hypothesis for Marmot Resistance to Disuse Osteoporosis
- Liana Owen, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
Resistance to Anovulatory Osteoporosis in the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): The Potential Role of Adaptive Bamboo Metabolism
- Daphnee Piou, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
The Giraffe as a Natural Animal Model for Resistance to the Adverse Effects of Gestational Hypertension
- Amelia Reynolds, Stephanie Chan, Emily Schwitzer, Alix Masters, Megan Sha
Macroevolutionary Approaches to Identify Novel Animal Models for Takotsubo Syndrome
- Ryan Turner, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
"The Placental Origins of Cardiovascular Sexual Dimorphism: A Novel Hypothesis Linking Placental Morphology and Cardiovascular Sex Differences in Eutherian Mammals"
- Camille Dash, Harvard University, Class of 2024
“The Origin of Cardiovascular Sexual Dimorphism: Did Cardiovascular Adaptations to the Volume Challenge of Pregnancy in Female Mammals Shape the Sex-Based Differences Observed in the Hearts of Modern Humans?”
- Daphnee Piou, Harvard University, Class of 2022
“The Giraffe Paradox: Investigating the Absence of Hypertrophy-Related Exercise Impairment in the Modern Giraffe as a Natural Animal Model for Resistance to Diastolic Heart Failure in Humans”
- Basil Baccouche, Harvard University, Class of 2020
“From Pleistocene Diets to Anti-Parkinsonian Drugs: Understanding the Role of the Human Enteric Microbiome in the Metabolism of Ingested L-dopa”
- Lourdes Kaufman, Harvard University, Class of 2020
“The Phylogeny of Atrial Fibrillation (AF): The Power of Comparative Arrhythmology to Generate Novel Hypotheses on the Origin of Vulnerability to AF”
- Danielle Katz, Harvard University, Class of 2019
Recent Publications
Featuring Lab Members
Dr. Natterson-Horowitz's Medical Phylogenomics Lab research was featured in Smithsonian's 2021 Earth Optimism Summit.
The session focused on shared vulnerability, highlighting biodiversity and the female animal, and included discussion of evolutionary adaptations as related to women’s health.
Keynote
Female Health Across the Tree of Life
Student Sessions - Shared Challenges
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Menstruation Across the Tree of Life
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Endometriosis Across the Tree of Life
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Post-Partum Maternal Syndromes
Student Sessions - Solutions from Females Across the Tree of Life
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The Giraffe as a Natural Animal Model of Resistance to HFpEF
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The Pregnant Giraffe as a Natural Animal Model for Resistance to Gestational Hypertension-associated Morbidities and Mortality
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The Golden Marmot and Giant Panda as Natural Animal Models for Resistance to Osteoporosis