NEWSLETTER
April 2022
Celebrate DNA Day in the Month of April
How can you celebrate National DNA Day? Start with the reason why we celebrate DNA Day on April 25 of every year, by watching short videos from the History Channel about the Human Genome Project. Learn how early research scientists unraveled some of the mysteries of DNA, the challenges to sequencing the first human genome, what we’ve learned about ourselves since the Human Genome Project was completed, and possibilities for the future!

International DNA Day Celebration with the Human Heredity & Health (H3Africa) Consortium and the National Human Genome Research Institute
DNA Day is going global in 2022 by hosting two webinars with researchers from the Human Heredity & Health (H3Africa) Consortium. On April 13 at 9 a.m. EDT, Dr. Nchangwi Syntia Munung, a research fellow at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, will be presenting “Centering Science and Health Equity in Genomics Research.” This will be followed by the webinar “Genome Tunisia Collaborative Alliance: Building Population-Specific Reference Genomes for Precision Medicine Implementation in North Africa” by Dr. Yosr Hamdi, a biologist and research assistant at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia, on April 22 at 9 a.m. EDT. Both webinars will include a moderated Q&A following the presentations. These events are free and open to all, and registration is required.

The National Human Genome Research Institute Celebrates DNA Day with the Louise M. Slaughter National DNA Day Lecture
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will be leading DNA Day celebrations by hosting the virtual Louise M. Slaughter National Day Lecture on Monday, April 25 at 1 p.m. This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Carter Clinton, postdoctoral scholar in the Departments of Anthropology and Biology at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Clinton will be speaking about his research which looks to the past to improve our understanding of health disparities in African Americans today, with an emphasis on the importance of diversity in genomic databases in the presentation “Harnessing the Past to Better Understand Health Disparities in Living African Americans and the Urgency for Diversity in Genomic Databases.” Following the presentation, a Q&A will be moderated by Dr. Larry Brody, director of the Division of Genomics and Society, NHGRI. This event is free and registration is required.

Genes in Space Contest
Do you have students in 7th-12th grade? Encourage them to submit a proposal to the Genes in Space Contest. Students design a DNA experiment that addresses a space exploration challenge. From bacterial cell growth to the human immune system, everything works a little differently in space. Challenge your students to be creative researchers today. Contest closes on April 18.


This month's featured article in
Genomics: Insights



Author: Swetha Chandrasekar


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