Genetic Journey Workshop
A
Genetic Journey Through The History Of Human Origins, Diversity And Disease
Co-ordinated by Professor Raj Ramesar, Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
The great discoveries and adventures that have been linked to Africa have not given sufficient emphasis to the continent as the place of human origins. Africa’s remarkable diversity and natural resources have in the past been exploited largely to the benefit of historical colonisers, yet the vast amount of research that has been done on its indigenous populations merits significant attention.
This course, given by faculty from various disciplines at the Universities of Cape Town and the Witwatersrand, will outline state of the art genetic research being done in our environment, revealing the history and place of our indigenous populations relative to one another. Genetic information will be combined with research from other disciplines such as linguistics and anthropology in order to provide a cohesive picture of human history and diversity on our continent, and the spread of our species across the planet. Disease predisposition, treatment appropriateness and prospects for the future will also be discussed.
Lecture Titles
1. The story of human origins and diversity in Africa. Prof Himla Soodyall, National Health Laboratory Services and Wits University
2. Genetics in the media: ancestry testing, the myth and the reality. Prof Wilmot James, Africa Genome Education Institute
3. Human history: linguistic perspective and its relation to genetic history. Prof Rajend Mesthrie
4. Human health and genetics. Dr Mike Urban
5. Prospects for the future: controversies and ethics. Prof Raj Ramesar
Recommended reading
V Cavalli-Sforza, L.L. & Sforza, F. The Great Human Diasporas: History of Diversity and Evolution. Reading, Mass. Addison-Wesley, 1996.
18–22 January
11.15 am
COURSE FEES
Full: R288,00
Staff: R144,00
Reduced: R72,00
Contact Prof Wilmot James here for further details