Population Genetics Group


The Population Genetics Group is an annual meeting of population geneticists held in the UK since 1968. The meetings have been very influential in promoting population and evolutionary genetics in the UK, Europe, and elsewhere. There have been long-standing connections between the PopGroup meeting and the journal Heredity. In 2017 Heredity published a special issue to mark the 50th meeting of the PopGroup.
The two and a half day meetings are held annually just before Christmas or in the new year at UK universities. Attendance is typically in the range of 190-250 participants. The meetings are characterised by a very informal atmosphere alongside scientific rigour.
PopGroup is a self-organising meeting, not part of any society or university, and with no formal membership. It is funded principally by participant conference fees, and is not for profit, though it has been additionally supported as a Sectional Interest Group by the Genetics Society.
The were held in January 1968 by a group of established population geneticists as an outgrowth of informal meetings on the evolutionary patterns of the snail Cepaea nemoralis. Programmes of the meetings reflect the changes in population genetics through that time, and are available on the as PDFs.
PopGroupDateLocationOrganisorsProgramme?
59Jan 2026LilleCamille Roux / Diala Abu-Awad / Vincent CastricNot Yet
58Jan 2025SheffieldNicola NadeauNot Yet
57Jan 2024St. AndrewsMichael RitchieNot Yet
56Jan 2023LondonRichard NichollsNot Yet
55Jan 2022NorwichMark McMullanYes
54Jan 2021LiverpoolAndrea Betancourt
53Jan 2020LeicesterRobert Hammond
52Jan 2019OxfordRavinder Kanda
51Jan 2018BristolJon Bridle
50Jan 2017CambridgeChris Jiggins
49Dec 2015EdinburghDarren Obbard
48Jan 2015SheffieldRoger Butlin
47Jan 2014BathNick Priest
46Dec 2012GlasgowBarb Mable
45Jan 2012NottinghamAngus Davison et al.
44Jan 2011HullDave Lunt & Lori LHandley
43Jan 2010LiverpoolIlik Saccheri
42Dec 2008CardiffMike Bruford
41Dec 2007WarwickDmitry Filatov
40Jan 2007ManchesterCathy Walton
39Dec 2005EdinburghDeborah CharlesworthYes
38Dec 2004ReadingRichard Sibley & Mark Beaumont
37Dec 2003SussexAdam Eyre-Walker
36Jan 2003LeicesterAndre GilburnYes
35Jan 2002LeedsRoger ButlinYes
34Dec 2000SheffieldTerry Burke
33Jan 2000ExeterMark MacNairYes
32Jan 1999CambridgeMike & Tamsin MajerusYes
31Dec 1997NottinghamJohn Brookfield et al.Yes
30Dec 1996EdinburghDeborah Charlesworth
29Jan 1996BangorChris GliddonYes
28Jan 1995ExeterMark MacNairYes
27Dec 1993ReadingMark BeaumontYes
26Jan 1993CardiffRoger ButlinYes
25Dec 1991LeidenPaul BrakefieldYes
24Jan 1991ManchesterManiYes
23Dec 1989NottinghamDavid Parkin & Tom DayYes
22Jan 1989LeicesterGabby DoverYes
21Jan 1988UCLSteve JonesYes
20Dec 1986NottinghamDavid Parkin & Tom DayYes
19Dec 1985ExeterYes
18Jan 1985ManchesterYes
17Jan 1984SouthamptonJohn AllenYes
16Jan 1983BirminghamJeff Gale
15Jan 1982CambridgeNick Barton
14Dec 1980EdinburghBill Hill
13Jan 1980SussexBrian and Deborah Charlesworth
12Dec 1978SheffieldBarry Burnet
11Jan 1978NottinghamBryan Clarke?
10Dec 1976Durham
09Dec 1975Manchester
08Dec 1974SussexJohn Maynard Smith
07Dec 1973SwanseaRoger Gilbert
06Dec 1972Nottingham
05Dec 1971BangorRichard Arnold
04Dec 1970London
03Dec 1969Liverpool
02Dec 1968Edinburgh
01Jan 1968Birmingham
0Jan 1967YorkCepaea only - PopGroup proposedYes
-1Dec 1962GroningenBeardmore/Cain/Ruiter/SheppardYes