Evolution & Revolution: Transforming Medicine through Comparative Genomics

Just like species, genes evolve over time. What can genetic evolution—both in our species and between different species—teach us about our own health? Discover the latest research on human genomes and the genomes of animals across the tree of life—and the profound implications this work has for the study of human genetics and health—with population geneticist David Reich of Harvard University, genomic medicine researcher David Goldstein of Columbia University, evolutionary biologist and Museum Curator Frank Burbrink, and neurogeneticist Mimi Shirasu-Hiza of Columbia University, moderated by New York Times science journalist Pam Belluck.

Explore how natural selection works at a genomic level and how a fruit fly can provide insights into human diseases. Experts reveal how comparing genomes of closely related primate species, and even extinct Neanderthals, can reveal the immune profile of other species and advance understanding of disease resistance and adaptation. Learn about the latest genomic sequencing technologies that are allowing a wider range of species to be sequenced faster and cheaper.

This program is presented as part of the 150th Anniversary Milstein Science Symposium.