Virtual Event: Why am I Irish yesterday and Italian today: Panel Discussion and Q&A Session

May 13, 2020 - Humans are drawn to learn about where we come from. From stories passed down through generations to taking genetic ancestry tests, we are compelled to know more about our ancestors. To that end, millions of curious people have taken a “direct-to-consumer” genetic test to learn about their genetic ancestry. Customers have been surprised, vindicated, delighted, enraged, and everything in between by their results. Interestingly, many are beginning to realize that the results change over time as they go back to look at them. What is the reason for this phenomenon and what does it mean for our identities? What does a genetic ancestry test tell us about ourselves and how does it shape our identity?

Panelists:
Vence L. Bonham Jr, J.D., National Human Genome Research Institute
Wendy D. Roth, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
Alice B. Popejoy, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University