Jaison Jeevan Sequeira is a population geneticist whose research explores the demographic history of South Asia through the lens of human genomics. He holds a PhD in Zoology, with his doctoral thesis focused on the ancestral history and genomic diversity of linguistic populations along the southwest coast of the subcontinent. His present work specializes in using bioinformatics tools to identify selection signals and reconstruct the genetic history of isolated groups. Sequeira is particularly recognized for his research on the genetic distinctness of the Koraga community, whom he identifies as a proxy for the “Proto-Dravidian” ancestry within the regional landscape. His significant publications include: “Novel 4400-year-old Ancestral Component in a Tribe Speaking a Dravidian Language” (European Journal of Human Genetics) and “The Maternal U1 Haplogroup in the Koraga Tribe as a Correlate of their North Dravidian Linguistic Affinity” (Frontiers in Genetics). Outside the laboratory, he is a creative artist and poet, who publishes literature and composes music in the Konkani language.

As a Human Past Junior Fellow at SCAS, Sequeira will investigate the distinct migratory waves of Steppe-derived groups into South Asia. The project will test the hypothesis that these groups entered the region during different periods, leading to varying levels of local admixture and Dravidian linguistic influence. By integrating genomic analysis with linguistic investigation, he aims to provide higher resolution insight into the movements that shaped South Asia’s complex ethnolinguistic landscape.

This information is accurate as of the academic year 2026-27.