Research Focus
My main interest is to study the (pre-)history of humans and their pathogens through ancient DNA while working in an interdisciplinary framework. I’m particularly interested in the historical plague pandemics in Western Eurasia from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period. Research topics: ancient pathogen genomics, molecular anthropology
Selected Publications
Keller, M., Guellil, M., Slavin, P., Saag, L., Irdt, K., Niinemäe, H., Solnik, A., Malve, M., Valk, H., Kriiska, A., Cessford, C., Inskip, S. A., Robb, J. E., Cooper, C., von Planta, C., Seifert, M., Reitmaier, T., Baetsen, W. A., Walker, D., et al. (2023). A Refined Phylochronology of the Second Plague Pandemic in Western Eurasia [Posted-content]. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.18.549544
Keller, M., Guellil, M., Slavin, P., Saag, L., Irdt, K., Niinemäe, H., Solnik, A., Malve, M., Valk, H., Kriiska, A., Cessford, C., Inskip, S. A., Robb, J. E., Cooper, C., von Planta, C., Seifert, M., Reitmaier, T., Baetsen, W. A., Walker, D., et al. (2023). A Refined Phylochronology of the Second Plague Pandemic in Western Eurasia [Posted-content]. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.18.549544
Guellil, M., Keller, M., Dittmar, J. M., Inskip, S. A., Cessford, C., Solnik, A., Kivisild, T., Metspalu, M., Robb, J. E., & Scheib, C. L. (2022). An invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection in an Anglo-Saxon plague victim. Genome Biology, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-021-02580-z
Guellil, M., Keller, M., Dittmar, J. M., Inskip, S. A., Cessford, C., Solnik, A., Kivisild, T., Metspalu, M., Robb, J. E., & Scheib, C. L. (2022). An invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection in an Anglo-Saxon plague victim. Genome Biology, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-021-02580-z
Keller, M., Paulus, C., & Xoplaki, E. (2021). The Justinianic Plague: Limits and opportunities of scientific approaches for an integrative understanding of history Die Justinianische Pest Grenzen und Chancen naturwissenschaftlicher Ansätze für ein integratives Geschichtsverständnis. Evangelische Theologie, 81(5), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.14315/evth-2021-810509
Keller, M., Paulus, C., & Xoplaki, E. (2021). The Justinianic Plague: Limits and opportunities of scientific approaches for an integrative understanding of history Die Justinianische Pest Grenzen und Chancen naturwissenschaftlicher Ansätze für ein integratives Geschichtsverständnis. Evangelische Theologie, 81(5), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.14315/evth-2021-810509
Spyrou, M. A., Keller, M., Tukhbatova, R. I., Scheib, C. L., Nelson, E. A., Andrades Valtueña, A., Neumann, G. U., Walker, D., Alterauge, A., Carty, N., Cessford, C., Fetz, H., Gourvennec, M., Hartle, R., Henderson, M., von Heyking, K., Inskip, S. A., Kacki, S., Key, F. M., et al. (2019). Phylogeography of the second plague pandemic revealed through analysis of historical Yersinia pestis genomes. Nature Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12154-0
Spyrou, M. A., Keller, M., Tukhbatova, R. I., Scheib, C. L., Nelson, E. A., Andrades Valtueña, A., Neumann, G. U., Walker, D., Alterauge, A., Carty, N., Cessford, C., Fetz, H., Gourvennec, M., Hartle, R., Henderson, M., von Heyking, K., Inskip, S. A., Kacki, S., Key, F. M., et al. (2019). Phylogeography of the second plague pandemic revealed through analysis of historical Yersinia pestis genomes. Nature Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12154-0
Keller, M., Spyrou, M. A., Scheib, C. L., Neumann, G. U., Kröpelin, A., Haas-Gebhard, B., Päffgen, B., Haberstroh, J., Lacomba, A. R. I., Raynaud, C., Cessford, C., Durand, R., Stadler, P., Nägele, K., Bates, J. S., Trautmann, B., Inskip, S. A., Peters, J., Robb, J. E., et al. (2019). Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from across Western Europe reveal early diversification during the First Pandemic (541–750). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(25), 12363–12372. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820447116
Keller, M., Spyrou, M. A., Scheib, C. L., Neumann, G. U., Kröpelin, A., Haas-Gebhard, B., Päffgen, B., Haberstroh, J., Lacomba, A. R. I., Raynaud, C., Cessford, C., Durand, R., Stadler, P., Nägele, K., Bates, J. S., Trautmann, B., Inskip, S. A., Peters, J., Robb, J. E., et al. (2019). Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from across Western Europe reveal early diversification during the First Pandemic (541–750). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(25), 12363–12372. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820447116