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CBSE Undergraduate diversity awardee Shewit Tekeste and graduate diversity fellow Gabriel Roybal work with their faculty mentor, molecular biologist Melissa Jurica. Shewit and Gabriel participate in the CBSE Research Mentoring Institute (RMI), an honors program that promotes diversity in genomic sciences.
 MORE... read about Shewit's life and research |
Uncovering the mysteries of the human
genome and exposing humankind to the benefits and potential
risks of this information will affect all humans regardless
of race, class, gender, socio-economic status, or any other
classification measure. For this reason, we strive to involve and include all people. By keeping the wellbeing
of humankind at the heart of project goals, we can steer
the research toward positive ends. As a community of scientists,
we remain committed to pursuing a greater understanding of
the human genome and the consequences of this knowledge, and
to making our findings available to the public. We are actively
concerned about the ethical, social, and legal implications
of this research.
MORE... photo gallery from CBSE Outreach Program
A UNIFYING
VISION
Many
people have expressed fears about
what human genome research will
lead to. Will it illustrate our
differences or our commonalities?
Will it give scientific credence
to the prejudices of the past?
Will it devalue human beings?
These are substantial fears that
cannot easily be ignored.
As we discover more about our
genome, we are finding that the
reality is a lot less scary than
we imagined. By comparing the
genome sequences of other species,
from worms to fish, mice to chimpanzees,
we see a wider view of the world.
We have learned that each human
is extremely similar genetically
to every other. The DNA of any
one person is 99.9% similar to
that of any other person (with
the exception of identical twins,
which are 100% similar to each
other). What's more, humans are
in fact very similar to other
mammalian species as well. For
example, the mouse and human genomes
differ by only 1%! This makes
the genetic differences that account
for physical characteristics in
people, such as skin color, eye
color, height, or weight, insignificant
in comparison. The exploration
of the human genome leads us to
a new way of looking at ourselves
and others.
HARNASSING
NEW TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY
Very
soon our knowledge of the
human genome will give us
powerful new tools to fight
disease. The cures for many
gene-linked illnesses will
come thanks to targeted therapeutic
approaches. We are beginning
to identify certain portions
of the human genome that are
linked with specific diseases,
such as Huntington's, Parkinson's,
and Alzheimer's. It is hoped
that early identification
of the genetic potential for
developing these diseases
will enable early intervention
and more effective treatment
for those not yet afflicted.
Countering these positive
results of the genome project
is the fear that someday we
may know enough about genetic
engineering to select certain
qualities for our children.
While this is still a long
way off, exploration of the
ethical, social, moral, and
legal implications now will allow society to
enact policy and legislation
to protect both the rights
and lives of future generations.
For this reason, the CBSE
supports research in genomic
ethics.
OUR
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
Because
these issues must be explored
from many perspectives, we
believe it is essential to
engage a diverse range of
students and faculty in genome
research and its surrounding
ethical, legal, and social
implications. The CBSE actively works to pave the way for talented students from diverse backgrounds to enter genomic sciences. Through our Research Mentoring Institute (RMI), we offer diversity
fellowships to support undergraduate
and graduate students at UCSC
who are working on genome
related research projects.
We work with local schools and recruit students at national
conferences hosted by SACNAS, SHPE, NSBE, and SWE,
and through programs such
as MESA, CAMP, MARC/MBRS, MEP, ACE, and ACCESS.
We are also interested in
increasing public awareness
of the potential benefits
and risks of genome research.
We offer talks
about our research and tours of our computational
laboratory to local
schools and community organizations. |
