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Genes & Society: Decolonizing Human Genetic Research Workshop Series

An Evening With Latifa Jackson: Fireside Chat and Q&A

Dr. Latifa Jackson Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, Howard University

Website | Twitter @latifajackson

Being an Ally in Academics (BAA) is looking forward to hosting Dr. Latifa Jackson for the Genes & Society: Decolonizing Human Genetic Research Workshop Series. Dr. Jackson’s research centers on the genomics of the African diaspora including utilizing bioinformatics approaches to identify complex phenotypes underlying health disparities. She is a member of Howard’s William Montague Cobb Research Laboratory contributing to the 1,000 African-American Genomes Project. She uses bioinformatics, functional genomics, and evolutionary biology approaches to study genetic patterns that contribute to disease phenotypes within a biological anthropology framework.

As part of a two-day engagement, Jackson will join us for a “fireside chat” and Q&A session to answer your questions about her research on the effect of sexual and racial discrimination on human health, her work with the 1,000 African-American Genomes Project, her career path, and more.

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Schedule of Events:

March 20th: Genetics and Genomics Academy Seminar 1:30 – 2:30 PM

• “The Fire Next Time: Implications of environmental stress on human health”
• Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall)
• This event will be held In-Person

March 20th: Fireside Chat with Dr. Jackson 6:30 – 7:30 PM

• Erdahl-Cloyd 2304, DH Hill Library
• In-Person Q&A Session

March 21st: Genetic Engineering and Society Center Colloquium 12 – 1 PM

• “The Genomic Fire Next Time: Reflections on charting your scientific path”
• 1911 Building, Room 129
• This event will be held In-Person

While the events over the last several years in the United States have placed an important focus on issues of race, diversity, and systemic inequalities; these issues are long-standing and embedded within institutions, academic disciplines, and the broader scientific community. In response to the most recent examples of these inequalities, NC State has stated that “Diversity is critical to NC State’s mission” and that “New perspectives deepen our understanding, strengthen our community and propel our innovation.” Building upon NC State’s mission statement and past successful race and science events, NC State’s Being an Ally in Academics (BAA) group has collaborated with Genetics and Genomics Academy, the Genetics and Engineering in Society Center (GES), and TriCEM to organize a new two-day workshop series titled, “Genes and Society: Decolonizing Human Genetic Research”. The goal of this series is to explore the current and historical intersections of racism, systemic inequalities, and human genetic research with an emphasis on inviting diverse and historically underrepresented groups as seminar speakers.