health
Probing the pathogens that afflicted ancient humanity
In the first part of a review of pathogens in human origins, I examine a sampling of infectious diseases in people today and their diverse origins.
Have human lifespans been constant for the last 2000 years?
Maximum lifespan is hard to assess in past populations. The data suggest that lifespan has been increasing over time.
HIV susceptibility locus protects against an extinct virus
The TRIM5α protein in humans doesn't resist HIV very well but may have once protected us from another ape virus.
High adult mortality in some contemporary hunter-gatherers
A brief review of a paper describing the causes of high mortality among young adults of the Hiwi people.
How research into the causes of health disparities matters to cancer
Science writer Jennifer Couzin has an important profile [https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.315.5812.592] of cancer researcher Olufunmilayo Olopade. I say it's important because the profile really presents a nuanced view of the relationship of biology, race, and health outcomes: > It's
A case study of race and medicine: the BiDil trial
I review news coverage of a drug marketed to African-American cardiology patients, and think about the impact of ancestry on health.