Implications of Anthropogeny for Medicine and Health

Summary
All living things are the product of evolutionary processes. Since the goals of the health sciences are to prevent disease, maintain health and treat illnesses, it follows that understanding of evolutionary mechanisms and processes in the context of human origins is of vital importance. New applications of evolutionary biology to medicine and health are developing fast, with special opportunities for contributions from anthropogeny. Exploring the constraints and trade-offs involved in the evolutionary transition to humans is crucial for understanding diseases of our species. This symposium brings together experts who discuss these advances as they apply to the prevention and treatment of various illnesses such as obesity and other metabolic diseases, sleep disorders, problems associated with reproductive health, and disorders resulting from inappropriate immune responses, viewed in the context of human origins.

In addition to our scholarly experts, award-winning rap artist and playwright, Baba Brinkman, takes the stage to perform select songs from his The Rap Guide to Medicine album.

Co-sponsored by the ASU Center for Evolution & Medicine

Event Sessions

Media for each talk can be played by clicking on icons in the "Media" column, or by clicking on the individual talk titles below and then the attachment file at the bottom of the page.

Media	Session	Speakers
	Welcome	David Brenner, University of California, San Diego Pascal Gagneux, University of California, San Diego
	Opening Remarks	Randolph Nesse, Arizona State University
	Zoobiquity and "One Medicine"	Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, University of California, Los Angeles
	Are there Human-Specific Diseases?	Ajit Varki, UC San Diego School of Medicine
	Evolving Milk	Katie Hinde, Arizona State University
	Heart Disease in Hunter-Gatherers?	Michael Gurven, University of California, Santa Barbara
	Homeostasis, Inflammation and Disease	Ruslan Medzhitov, Yale School of Medicine
	Why Genes that Harm Health Persist	Randolph Nesse, Arizona State University
	The Divided Child	David Haig, Harvard University
	Adaptations to High Altitude	Cynthia Beall, Case Western Reserve University
	Shining Evolutionary Light on Human Sleep and Health	Charles Nunn, Duke University
	Question and Answer Session, Closing Remarks	Ajit Varki, UC San Diego School of Medicine Randolph Nesse, Arizona State University All Speakers
	A Rap Guide to Medicine	Baba Brinkman, Community Member

Event Glossary

A glossary for this event is available as a Searchable List and a PDF.