Profile

My new daughter and I at my wedding reception, October 2006I’m a PhD in anthropological genetics, working on a new postdoc. My research interests include genetic epidemiology, genomics, human evolution and origins, the peopling of Europe, population genetics, and bioinformatics. I started this blog in August of 2005.

Why blog? It’s not like postdocs have free time to spare, but I felt compelled to attempt to counteract the political misuse of science in my state. You see, I live in Kansas, the state where the board of education redefined science. Seriously, 6 politicians changed the definition of science from

Science is the human activity of seeking natural explanations for what we observe in the world around us.

to

Science is a systematic method of continuing investigation that uses observation, hypothesis testing, measurement, experimentation, logical argument and theory building, to lead to more adequate explanations of natural phenomena.

Since the classes I teach are science classes, and deal with human evolution in particular, and because my children attend public schools in Kansas, I felt it was important to draw attention to the politicization of science, as well as highlight the really cool work that scientists are doing. As a scientist, it’s frustrating to watch traditional media get the science wrong, and the politicians twist science to their own ends.

I also want to be a voice for women in science, those undergrads and early grad students who wonder if they can pursue a career in science and dreams of family at the same time. I had a toddler when I started grad school, had another baby between finishing the PhD and starting the postdoc, and while it’s not easy, it is possible.

This isn’t strictly an anthropology blog, because my interests are not that narrow. I would hazard a guess that most “science blogs” aren’t strictly focused on science, but more on the intersection of science and society. That’s what Freethinker’s Asylum is all about.

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