Talks and shows

DNA time travel

Discover what DNA can teach us about human history.

Sangharsh Loakare via Unsplash

DNA is amazing. It’s the instructions our body uses to make us, us. We all have it and it’s unique to you, unless you’re lucky enough to be an identical twin! It can also teach us a lot about the humans that came before us.

Join Pooja Swali as she explores ancient DNA, that can give us an incredible ways to peek into history and learn more about humans and what they were up to.

Pooja will cover ancient diseases and how they spread over time, effecting the way that we used to live and help us learn more about diseases today.

Event type

This is a theatre event for children and adults to enjoy together. All young people under the age of 13 need to be accompanied by a paying adult and those aged 4 and above need a ticket to attend.

By booking to attend events at the Royal Institution, you confirm that you have read and accept the Ri's event terms and conditions. You also agree to abide by our code of conduct, and help to create a great experience for yourself and your fellow participants. Please note that Eventbrite adds a small booking fee to the amount paid for each ticket option.

For any queries regarding this workshop please get in touch by phone 020 7409 2992 or email events@ri.ac.uk.

About Pooja Swali

Pooja Swali is a Research Fellow at UCL and her research focuses on the retrieval, detection and analysis of pathogen genomes from historical samples to trace their evolutionary journey across time. Through the combined analysis of ancient and contemporary genomes, her work strives to understand the fundamental evolutionary processes that have influenced the genomes and geographical distribution of these species today. Previously, she completed her PhD at the Francis Crick Institute Ancient Genomics Laboratory (2018 - 2023). In 2023 she was awarded the Scientific Achievement award at the Crick for her PhD work on Prehistoric plague genomes from Britain. Pooja was also awarded the 2023 Agricultural, Biological, and Medical Sciences Award Lecture from the British Science Association for her work in Science Communication.

Timing

The doors will open at approximately 1.30pm, with a prompt start at 2.00pm.

Latecomers will be admitted into the gallery.

Accessibility

The event will take place on the first floor and there is step-free access from the street via lift.

The closest underground station is Green Park, which is step-free.

There is space at floor level in the theatre for wheelchair users.

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at events@ri.ac.uk, and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing events@ri.ac.uk.

Our theatre is equipped with an Audio Induction Loop. 

Tickets for Good

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We’ve partnered with Tickets for Good to provide tickets for the NHS, charity sector workers, and cost of living payment recipients to come and enjoy our upcoming shows.

Tickets for Good offers free and discounted tickets for live events in the UK, and we’re very excited to have teamed up with them!



Grab your tickets by becoming a member here: https://go.ticketsforgood.org/3LPtYV5

Event terms and conditions