Introduction, Food for Thought

Hello!

I’m Anna, and I am senior in Integrative Biology (minoring in anthropology). I’m excited to be taking Evolution and Human Disease this semester with Kate Clancy. As someone whose primary focus up to this point has been on non-human behavior and the mechanics of evolution, I thought it was about time to take course focusing solely on humans and how our modern health and wellness concerns can be helped (or hindered) by our genes and our culture.

Here are a few blogs I’ve found that take interesting perspectives on health and wellness:

·         Translational Global Health (Science and practical applications of health practices with a global perspective)
·         DNA Science Blog (Discussions of how genetic research and sequencing technology is impacting health and medicine)
·         Mind the Brain (Mental health as well as recent research in neuroscience and psychology)

I hate to start the blog out on a heavy note, but one post in particular from Mind the Brain I felt I had to share: Violence Against Women: Implications for our communities, our world and our future. The post was written last May back when rape cases in American high schools (e.g. Steubenville) and the gang rape and eventual death of a student in New Delhi were being heavily reported on. In light of a recent study that found a staggering 1 in 5 women on college campuses in America have experienced sexual assault, I feel the post is worth a read and demonstrates that this is an ongoing health issue affecting millions of women worldwide. The blogger also raises the important (and frustrating) question of why more people don’t have a “zero tolerance” attitude toward instances of sexual/domestic violence when it appears to be nothing short of a global epidemic.

As with any issue, I believe the first step in solving the problem is understanding it. I believe there is still a fundamental lack of understanding about what it means to be a woman living in the world today. Our stories need to be shared, not just among our friends, but with a global community that needs to be willing to listen to them.

I’ll leave you with that thought. I look forward to running this blog throughout the semester!