Vanderbilt anthropologist to deliver annual Journal of Anthropological Research Distinguished Lecture

The LVI Journal of Anthropological Research (JAR) Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Jada Benn Torres, a leading anthropologist from Vanderbilt University, The annual event will feature two engaging public talks examining the intersection of race, genetics, and health.

The JAR lecture, titled Marketing Race: The Allure, Promise, and Pitfalls of Genetic Ancestry, will be held Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 in Hibben Hall, Room 105. It will delve into the completion of the human genome sequencing ushered in a new genomic age, where the goals shifted from merely learning the DNA sequence to understanding how the genome functions as a dynamic system. As part of this genomic age, new methods of conceptualizing human genetic diversity and its relation to identity emerged. Despite the use of new genomic methods, old ideas about race as biology persisted within both scientific and public imaginaries.

The JAR lecture will be followed on Friday, Feb. 28, with an informal discussion at 11 a.m. prior to the seminar at 12 noon. Both events will be held in Anthropology 248. The informal discussion will allow faculty and students to ask Benn Torres questions about her research. Her seminar will focus on the pathologization of race in women's health, addressing differences between social and biomedical perspectives on race and its impact on health outcomes.

Benn Torres is a genetic anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology and the Director of the Genetic Anthropology and Biocultural Studies Laboratory at Vanderbilt University. Her numerous publications focus on genetic ancestry in the Caribbean, genetics and disease, race, and health disparities, among other topics. Her recent, co-authored book, Genetic Ancestry: Our Stories, Our Pasts (Routledge 2022), looks at the possibilities and limitations of genetic testing.

Event Information
These events are free and wheelchair accessible. Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to attend. The events are sponsored by the Journal of Anthropological Research and the Department of Anthropology. Attendees without a UNM parking permit should use metered spaces along Redondo Road or Las Lomas to avoid fines.

The Journal of Anthropological Research, published quarterly by UNM since 1945, is a leading publication in anthropological scholarship.

For more information or to subscribe, visit journals.uchicago.edu/JAR.