Evolution in Health and Medicine

Organized by Peter Ellison, Diddahally R. Govindaraju, Randolph M. Nesse and Stephen C. Stearns

This meeting was held April 2-3, 2009 at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.  Slideshow and audio recordings of the presentations will be made available soon.

Listen to an interview by organizer Peter Ellison. 
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Evolution, genetics and medicine share a long and distinguished tradition. Although evolutionary biology and genetics merged during the Modern Synthesis of the mid- 20th century, medicine has remained isolated from the evolutionary half of the synthesis.  This is somewhat surprising, given that the foundations for much of the present day medical and human genetics, were laid by the evolutionary insights of pioneering physicians long before DNA's functions were understood.  Many medical applications of evolutionary biology are only now being recognized. This colloquium will include evolutionary biologists, physician scientists, human geneticists and biologists, epidemiologists, veterinary scientists and ethicists who are working towards an interdisciplinary synthesis that will bring the full power of evolutionary biology to bear in medicine, public health and related fields devoted to human and animal health and welfare.

View presentation recordings.

Annual Sackler Lecture
E.O. Wilson presented the Annual Sackler Lecture, entitled Evolution and the Future of the Earth on April 2nd at the National Academy of Sciences auditorium. 

Check back soon for an audio recording of this lecture.