Linnaeus Lecture: Why do human germline mutation rates depend on age and sex?
- Date
- 19 February 2026, 09:00–12:00
- Location
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Friessalen, Norbyvägen 14
- Type
- Lecture
- Lecturer
- Molly Przeworski
- Web page
- https://www.uu.se/en/disciplinary-domain/science-and-technology/research/celsius-linnaeus-lectures
- Organiser
- Faculty of Science and Technology
- Contact person
- Karin Thellenberg
- Phone
- +46 18-471 49 47
Germline mutation is the source of all heritable differences and therefore of fundamental importance. In mammals, it has long been appreciated that mutation rates are higher in fathers, particularly older fathers. The textbook view has been that these patterns reflect replication errors that accrue during spermatogenesis. I will present multiple lines of evidence that call this view into question. I will argue instead that the data are best explained by a much larger role of DNA damage in the genesis of germline mutations than previously appreciated, and draw implications for why mutation rates depend on sex and age and how they evolve over time.
Read more about the Celsius-Linnaeus Lectures here "Quantum sensors and genetic mutations".
Program Linnaeus Lectures
09.00: Welcome to the Celsius-Linnaeus Lectures 2026
Vice-rector Charlotte Platzer-Björkman and the Chairman of the Celsius-Linnaeus Committee Giuliano Di Baldassarre.
09.15: LINNAEUS LECTURE: Why do human germline mutation rates depend on age and sex?
Molly Przeworski, Professor of Biological Sciences & Systems Biology, Columbia University, USA
10.15: Break
10.30: Symposia lecture: Data-driven insights into variant-to-function mechanisms in human traits and diseases.
Professor Tuuli Lappalainen, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology. New York Genome Center, USA
11:00: Symposia lecture: Homo sapiens specific genetic variants and the importance of ancient southern African genomes.
Professor Mattias Jakobsson, Department of Organismal Biology, Human Evolution, Uppsala University
11.30: Panel discussion
Molly Przeworski, Tuuli Lappalainen and Mattias Jakobsson
Moderator: Professor Göran Arnqvist, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University
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The 2026 Celsius Lecturer, Fedor Jelezko, will give his Celsius Lecture "Diamond quantum sensors for biomedical applications" at Ångström Laboratory starting 14.00.
Each year the Faculty of Science and Technology arranges the Celsius-Linnaeus honorary lectures in memory of Anders Celsius and Carl von Linné. The selected Celsius- and Linnaeus lecturers are at today's forefront within their field.