Short Wave Researchers Are Figuring Out How African Ancestry Can Affect Certain Brain Disorders
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Jul 3, 2024 
Join Jon Hamilton, NPR's science correspondent with a focus on health and science, as he dives into fascinating research on African ancestry and brain disorders. They discuss the underrepresentation of Black Americans in genomic studies and how this gap affects understanding risks for conditions like Alzheimer’s and stroke. The conversation highlights initiatives aimed at fostering trust in the Black community and ethical engagement in research, along with groundbreaking findings on how ancestry influences brain health.
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Race vs. Ancestry
- Race is a social construct, a poor indicator of biology.
- Ancestry, our bloodline, determines our genes and disease risk.
Race in Research
- Scientists sometimes use race in studies to identify groups with different life experiences.
- Race and ethnicity are how the U.S. tracks health disparities.
Building Trust
- The Tuskegee experiment and Henrietta Lacks' case broke trust between the Black community and researchers.
- The African Ancestry Initiative partnered with community leaders to rebuild trust.