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.

Date	Media	Session Title	Speakers
Fri 10/14		Welcome	David Brenner, Pascal Gagneux
Fri 10/14		Opening Remarks	Randolph Nesse
Fri 10/14		Zoobiquity and "One Medicine"	Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
Fri 10/14		Are there Human-Specific Diseases?	Ajit Varki
Fri 10/14		Evolving Milk	Katie Hinde
Fri 10/14		Heart Disease in Hunter-Gatherers?	Michael Gurven
Fri 10/14		Homeostasis, Inflammation and Disease	Ruslan Medzhitov
Fri 10/14		Why Genes that Harm Health Persist	Randolph Nesse
Fri 10/14		The Divided Child	David Haig
Fri 10/14		Adaptations to High Altitude	Cynthia Beall
Fri 10/14		Shining Evolutionary Light on Human Sleep and Health	Charles Nunn
Fri 10/14		Question and Answer Session, Closing Remarks	Ajit Varki, Randolph Nesse, All Speakers
Fri 10/14		A Rap Guide to Medicine	Baba Brinkman

Event Glossary

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