**Dr. Nick Patterson** explains how the ancient populations of Europe are now being traced through DNA analysis of fossil remains, and why mathematical modeling – what he does — is essential in developing this reconstruction.
Nick Patterson, Ph.D., is a senior computational biologist in the Medical and Population Genetics Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His work involves applying new statistical methodologies to complex genetic data, focusing on human medical genetics. His work at the Broad has ranged widely, encompassing the study of the medical genetics of African American, Latino, and Indian populations, to understanding the evolutionary path of modern humans from the time of the Neandertals.