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Connie Mulligan

Even at the Cellular Level, Ancestry Matters

In a new article published by Nature, UF professors Erika Moore, Josephine Allen, and Connie Mulligan argue it is imperative to consider ancestry in cell samples for medical research because ancestral differences are present in many diseases. Ancestry typically refers to biological or genetic characteristics, but sociocultural factors, such as language and family history, also impact ancestry. The authors argue that accounting for a person's ancestry will improve the effectiveness of treatment for patients of all backgrounds.