Molecular Anthropology in the Genomic Era
4th International conference of the series
DNA polymorphisms in human populations
University La Sapienza - Rome, December 3–5, 2009

Background

In the past twenty years molecular anthropology has had an increasing role in the wider context of physical anthropology, of which it became one of the most rapidly growing and promising sectors (primate phylogeny, population history, world human migrations, adaptation).
Molecular anthropology has also moved beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. We will just cite the investigations of any possible parallelism between cultural and genetic differentiation of human societies and the genetic study of complex diseases. In the medical frame of association studies, several scholars are investigating the genetic structure of human populations and their demographic history to design more appropriate samples. Further and more recent developments concern pharmacogenetic studies aimed at developing more effective drugs.
In recent times, it has been increasingly difficult to maintain the holistic approach that has inspired molecular anthropology in last decades. If, on the one hand, there is the need to foster multidisciplinary collaborations (with genetic epidemiologists, archaeologists, primatologists, etc), on the other hand the increasing amount of discovered polymorphisms requires a methodological and theoretical update that pushes towards hyper specialization.

Aims

The structure of the meeting is to present state-of-art research continent by continent since, as a matter of fact, the research of many colleagues is geographically focused. Our objective is to contribute examples and ideas that will drive further integration of molecular anthropology and other research fields and disciplines. Particular attention will be given to the impact of new analytical methods but also, and more traditionally, to updated and comprehensive syntheses about human diversity since browsing the ever growing literature requires an enormous time that acts as a barrier among specialists of different areas.

Quentin Atkinson (UK)
Guido Barbujani (Italy)
Mark Collard (Canada)
David Comas (Spain)
Claudio Franceschi (Italy)
Mark Jobling (UK)
Connie Mulligan (USA)
Martin Richards (UK)
Jorge Rocha (Portugal)
John Novembre (USA)

Organizers
Franz Manni, PhD

National Museum of Natural History of Paris www.mnhn.fr
Musée de l'Homme
Istituto Italiano di Antropologia www.isita-org.com
University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Italian Ministry for Research and Scientific Innovation