Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. Svante Pääbo to Speak at NCKU Phoenix Lecture on March 20
Written and Image credit to NCKU Department of Life Sciences
National Cheng Kung University ( NCKU ) will host Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Svante Pääbo, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and a pioneer in ancient DNA research, for the 2026 NCKU Phoenix Lecture on Friday, March 20, 2026. In his lecture, titled “About the Origins of Modern Humans: Neandertals, Denisovans, and the Genetic Legacy of Humanity,” Prof. Pääbo will share his groundbreaking research on ancient DNA. He will guide the audience through how scientists recover ancient DNA from fossils to trace the story of human origins, and explain how such research helps us understand the genetic characteristics of modern humans and even informs modern medical research.
Prof. Pääbo is currently affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. He pioneered methods for extracting DNA from fossils, enabling scientists to directly read genetic signals preserved for tens of thousands of years. His research team successfully sequenced the Neandertal genome and identified another extinct human group, the Denisovans, revealing that archaic humans and modern humans once interbred. These discoveries fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human evolutionary history and gave rise to the new field of paleogenomics.
Prof. Pääbo is currently visiting Taiwan for specimen sampling and academic exchange in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung. At the invitation of Professor Takashi Gojobori, Yushan Scholar in the Department of Life Sciences at NCKU, and with the support of NMNS Director Wen-San Huang, he will make a special visit to NCKU for this lecture.
Following the lecture, an academic panel discussion will be held, moderated by Professor Hao-Wen Wang of the Department of Life Sciences at NCKU. Panelists will include Dr. Diyendo Massilani, Assistant Professor at Yale University, and Dr. Junji Hirota of the Institute of Science Tokyo. The discussion will cover perspectives and experiences related to cross-generational research, team science, and the future development of life sciences. The lecture and panel discussion are open to faculty members, students, and interested members of the public.
【2026 NCKU Phoenix Lecture】
Speaker | Prof. Dr. Svante Pääbo, 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureate
Topic | About the Origins of Modern Humans: Neandertals, Denisovans, and the Genetic Legacy of Humanity
Time | 14:00–16:30, Friday, March 20, 2026
Venue | International Conference Hall, B1, Main Library, National Cheng Kung University
Registration |【 Sign up now 】
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2026-03-13
