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It’s All Relatives: The Science of Your Family Tree

Thursday, May 29, 2014
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

 

Researching the farthest branches of your family tree is now faster, cheaper, more accessible and more accurate than ever before. Today you can find distant living relatives, learn how you are related to important historical figures or discover how your ancestors participated in major movements in human history.  And, using advanced technologies to analyze face structure and skin pigmentation, evolutionary geneticists can determine what your ancestors actually looked like.  Join a conversation among leading researchers about how gains in computational power, together with technological innovations, are allowing scientists to come ever closer to understanding how we are all connected.

This program is produced in collaboration with The New-York Historical Society.

Special Note: Participating Penn State geneticist Dr. Mark D.Shriver has organized a unique opportunity to volunteer onsite for his lab’s ongoing genetic genealogy research study.

Additionally, the New-York Historical Society is kindly allowing people free access all day (10 am – 6pm) to the museum for those who show their ticket to this event. That means you can come early, check out the museum’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library for genealogical research and the N-YHS’s other terrific exhibits and volunteer for Penn State’s research study if you choose.

Host

Randall PinkstonBroadcast Journalist

Randall Pinkston was a CBS News correspondent for more than 30 years, including two years covering the White House. Among his many awards are three Emmys, including one for Outstanding Investigative Reporting for CBS Reports: Legacy of Shame about migrant farm workers in the USA.

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Participants

Louise MirrerPresident and CEO of the New-York Historical Society

Louise Mirrer joined the New-York Historical Society as President and CEO in June 2004. Under her guidance, New-York Historical is reinvigorating its commitment to foster greater public understanding of history and its impact on the world of today.

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Catherine BallGenomic Scientist

Catherine Ball leads a group of population geneticists, statisticians, and computer scientists and oversees the analytical approaches behind Ancestry.com’s direct-to-consumer genotyping services.

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Brenna HennAnthropologist, Evolutionary Geneticist

Brenna Henn is principal investigator of the Henn Lab and also teaches in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, SUNY. Her expertise is the history of African populations and diverse, indigenous populations from around the world who harbor genetic, linguistic and phenotypic variation.

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CeCe MooreGenetic Genealogist

CeCe Moore is a professional genetic genealogist who is considered an innovator in the use of DNA for genealogical purposes. Currently, she is working as the genetic genealogy consultant and scriptwriter for PBS’ Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

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Mark D. ShriverAnthropologist, Geneticist

Mark Shriver is Professor of Anthropology and Genetics at The Pennsylvania State University. His research seeks to elucidate the genetic evolution that took place during and after the spread of modern humans.

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