Recently in ISG

This essay draws attention to the role of the WHO in shaping research agendas in the biomedical sciences in the postwar era. It considers in particular the genetic studies of human populations that were pursued under the aegis of the WHO from the late 1950s to 1970s.

The domestication of dogs may have inadvertently caused harmful genetic changes, a UCLA-led study suggests. Domesticating dogs from gray wolves more than 15,000 years ago involved artificial selection and inbreeding, but the effects of these processes on dog genomes have been little-studied.

Congratulations to Jessica Lynch Alfaro and Michael Alfaro, who were awarded a grant through the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), “Phenotypic plasticity of robust Capuchin monkeys (genus Sapajus): research on the effects of distinct ontogenetic trajectories and context-dependent activation.”

Dr. Patrick Allard is featured in a UCLA Health article titled “A chemistry test for public safety.” As companies continue to produce new chemical compounds at a rapid clip, toxicologists and state and federal regulators agree that conventional approaches to testing chemical safety have significant limitations.

Dr. Eric Vilain and Dr. Christina Palmer are featured in a UCLA Newsroom piece titled “UCLA opens new program to solve mystery genetic diseases.” People enrolled in the program will undergo an intensive weeklong assessment featuring a clinical evaluation, consultations with specialists and multiple medical tests.

Congratulations to Professor Soraya de Chadarevian, who was awarded an NSF grant for her book project, “Heredity under the Microscope: A History of Human Chromosomes.”

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Patrick Allard, who has received a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Innovation in Regulatory Science Award, an extremely competitive five-year award!

Hannah Landecker and Martine Lappé have together published an article entitled, “How the Genome Got a Life Span,” in a special issue of New Genetics and Society, a selection of research articles on the topic of “Epigenetics and Society: Potential, Expectations, and Criticisms.”

Gender dysphoric children have not usually become transgender adults. For example, the large majority of gender dysphoric boys studied so far have become young men content to remain male. More than 80% adjusted by adolescence.

UCLA scientists examining causes of human infertility have found that the cells that create eggs or sperm during the prenatal stage of development are vulnerable to damage. The findings advance the understanding of human germ cells, which are responsible for carrying parents’ genes to a child.

Congratulations Nadine Levin for being awarded a Post PhD Research Fieldwork Grant from the Wenner Gren Foundation!