Final answer:
Pardis Sabeti contributed to the understanding that the CCR5-delta 32 mutation's frequency in European populations didn't arise from the selective pressures of the plague. Her work emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to elucidate the mutation's history and its role in HIV resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The proposed date of origin for the CCR5-delta 32 mutation has been the subject of considerable debate among researchers. Initially, some proposed that the mutation's high frequency in modern European populations was due to selective pressures from past epidemics like the plague, particularly the Black Death.
However, subsequent research using ancient DNA (aDNA) technologies showed that the mutation's frequency did not increase due to the plague, a point supported by Pardis Sabeti, a computational geneticist, in various publications.
These findings have helped fuel a new dialogue between geneticists, epidemiologists, and historians, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to understand the historical context and evolutionary significance of genetic mutations like CCR5-delta 32.
Researchers like Pardis Sabeti continue to explore the origins and implications of CCR5-delta 32, adding to our knowledge of human genetics and disease resistance, particularly in relation to HIV resistance.