Presidential Symposium: Unraveling the Genetic Foundations of Human Disease: Insights from the Past, Present, and Future

A fundamental goal of human population genetics is to understand the evolutionary forces impacting the origins and global distribution of disease. Novel technologies and sophisticated methods provide unprecedented insights into how our evolutionary history continues to influence human disease. When modern humans first migrated out of Africa, they encountered and interacted with archaic human populations such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. Genomic studies of modern humans reveal that some segments of DNA inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans are associated with an altered risk for common diseases. Moreover, the establishment of large global genomic databases containing detailed electronic health records allows us to identify the genetic factors influencing complex traits across globally diverse populations. Looking to the future, climate change is predicted to dramatically impact all aspects of human life. Research on how genetic differences interact with our changing environment helps pave the way for improved disease diagnosis and treatment in the future.

Learning Objectives

*    Summarize how ancient DNA has shed light on the origins of genetic variation that contributes to present-day human biology and health.
*    Examine how ancient DNA can be used to study adaptation at high genetic resolution and the evolution of the architecture of complex genetic traits.
*    Identify current challenges and future opportunities for future multi-ancestry studies.