Black History in Genetics
Trailblazers, Pioneers, and Leaders in Genetics
Overview
Introduction
This showcase of trailblazing Black pioneers, leaders, and unsung heroes is here to remind you that you are not alone. The people shown here come from small towns and big cities, were first-generation college students and legacies, and while some were gifted, others leaned on faith and resilience to push for change.
Though this list does not capture everyone, it represents the mark African Americans and meaning-makers of African descent have made on the field genetics. Their stories are here to inspire you and to provide the representation you may have struggled to find. Because of them, we can. This is for you.
Educator
Doris C. Withers, EdD
Dr. Withers is an emerita Professor of Biology and Education. "Emerita" means that while Dr. Withers is retired, she still retains the title and honor of professor. Dr. Withers focused her efforts on genetic literacy and genealogy during her career.
She was born in Newport News, Virginia.
Researcher, Educator
Tracy L. Johnson, PhD
Dr. Tracy Johnson is a Keith and Cecelia Teraski Presidential Endowed Chair, Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, and Dean of the College of Life Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Her research focuses on gene regulation (how the cell controls genes), RNA processing (how RNA is formed and maintained), and chromatin modification (a key mechanism of gene expression).
Dr. Johnson calls the state of California "home."
Researcher, Educator, ELSI Scholar
Charmaine E. Royal, PhD, MS
Dr. Charmaine E. Royal is a Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke University in North Carolina.
Dr. Royal is a scholar of human categorization and genetics, as well as the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genetic research.
Educator, Researcher, ELSI Scholar
Shawneequa L. Callier, MA, JD
Shawneequa L. Callier is a lawyer, bioethicist, and legal scholar of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genetic research.
She teaches bioethics (ethics applied to biology, health, and technology) as a tenured professor in Washington, DC.
Shawneequa went to high school in Queens, New York and has studied across the globe, in Australia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom!
Educator
Jason Williams, BS
Jason Williams is an outreach educator specializing in bioinformatics and workforce development. He studied biology at Stony Brook University and did undergraduate research there in plant phylogenetics and systematics.
Jason is a scientist without a PhD. He has written that humility is part of the reason he has not obtained this degree.
He was born in Long Island, New York, enjoys pop music, and can navigate the NYC subways by smell!
HBCU
Howard University
Did you know that a university in Washington, DC, called Howard University has played a major role in training and supporting Black scientists, especially in the field of genetics?
For a long time, Howard was one of the only places where Black students interested in science could get advanced training. A lot of other traditionally Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) didn't have programs that went all the way up to a PhD. So, Howard became a really important hub—it trained its own students but also welcomed students from other schools who wanted those higher degrees.
Many of the pioneering Black geneticists you'll learn about in this project got their start at Howard. The university provided a place where they could develop their talents and expertise and has been important in shaping the field of genetics in America. Other HBCUs with a footing in genetics include Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Xavier University, and North Carolina A&T State University.
Researcher, Administrator
Ambroise Wonkam, MD, DMedSc, PhD
Dr. Ambroise Wonkam is a Professor of Medical Genetics and Henry J. Knott Director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute and Department of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wonkam is from Cameroon and studies sickle cell disease, ethics, and hearing loss.
Interestingly, he didn't always know he wanted to become a geneticist!
Researcher
Ernest E. Just, PhD
Dr. Earnest E. Just was a pioneering biologist who provided one of the early conceptions of epigenetics. “Epigenetics” is the study of how the environment and other factors change the way that genes are expressed. “Epi-“ means “on or above” in Greek, so “epigenetic” describes factors that do not change the DNA sequence.
Dr. Just was born in the late 1880s in Charleston, South Carolina. He worked with sea urchins and knew Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan (a famous fruit fly geneticist).
Researcher
Herman R. Branson, PhD
Dr. Herman R. Branson was a biophysicist, having a earned a PhD in physics, and provided an early conception of the DNA protein structure (before Watson & Crick).
He was born in Pocahontas, Virginia and spent the last years of his life in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Researcher
Marie M. Daly, PhD
Dr. Marie M. Daly was a biochemist, having been the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry. She provided an early understanding of histones. “Histones” are highly basic proteins that provide structural support for chromosomes.
A 1953 paper she helped co-author was cited in Watson & Crick’s Nobel Prize lecture on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. Dr. Daly was born in Queens, New York, and loved music, especially playing the flute.
Researcher
Sheila S. Stiles, PhD
Dr. Sheila S. Stiles is a research geneticist, breeder, and conservationist of shellfish.
Dr. Stiles grew up during the era of legalized segregation (at work, school, movies, public transportation) in Memphis, Tennessee. It was in Memphis that she grew an interest in exploring nature and the natural world. She went on to study biology at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana-the only Black Catholic university in the nation.
Dr. Stiles has given back to the field as a passionate mentor to the next generation.
Researcher
Georgia M. Dunston, PhD
Dr. Georgia M. Dunston is a human geneticist and one of the early leaders in studying complex diseases in African Americans. “Complex diseases” are those that have a combination of genetic and environmental influence, like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Dunston says she was hooked on genetics by her desire to understand “human differences.” She was recruited to the University of Michigan in the late 1960s to complete her PhD in Human Genetics under the Black Action Movement—an effort to increase the representation of African Americans at the school. She later worked with Dr. Francis Collins (former National Institutes of Health director and leader of the Human Genome Project) and was a pioneer in building a database of African American genomes and founded the National Human Genome Center at Howard University.
Dr. Dunston was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Researcher, Educator
Fatimah L. C. Jackson, PhD
Dr. Fatimah L. C. Jackson is a human biologist and genetic anthropologist, focusing her studies on human-plant coevolution and population biology in peoples of African descent.
Dr. Jackson grew up in Colorado and was inspired to study human differences when her jeans did not fit her as a teenager and after reading science texts with supremacist theories.
Dr. Jackson was an early proponent for the inclusion of African Americans in the original Human Genome Project and is the first woman of African descent to be awarded to the Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award.
Researcher
Rick A. Kittles, PhD
Dr. Rick A. Kittles is a human geneticist. He studies complex diseases in African Americans and is well known for his research of prostate cancer and health disparities in Black men. Dr. Kittles also co-founded and directed African Ancestry, Inc., founded in the early 2000s, using DNA to uncover lineage, ancestry, and identity of African-Americans.
Dr. Kittles was born in Georgia but grew up in New York. He wanted to a be rap musician but his curiosity about human origins and differences led him to study genetics!
Researcher
Tina A. Lasisi, PhD
Dr. Tina A. Lasisi is a genetic anthropologist. She studies the genetics and evolution of human hair and pigmentation and is now a professor of Anthropology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.
Dr. Lasisi is active on social media and hosted PBS Terra Digital Show “Why Am I Like This?" available on YouTube! Dr. Lasisi grew up in the Netherlands.
Researcher
Carter K. Clinton, PhD
Dr. Carter K. Clinton is a genetic anthropologist. He studies ancient DNA (also known as "aDNA") from African American burial grounds. Ancient DNA or “aDNA” is DNA extracted from biological remains.
Dr. Clinton was mentored by Dr. Fatimah Jackson as a graduate student at Howard University. He is now a university professor of biology.
Carter grew up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York and used to be afraid of public speaking before becoming a National Geographic Explorer!
Researcher
Charles N. Rotimi, PhD, MPH, MS
Dr. Charles N. Rotimi is a human geneticist. He was an early proponent for the inclusion of African and African American genomes in genetic research despite much political and cultural opposition at the time. He helped found the African Society of Human Genetics and played a major role in the H3Africa initiative which invested funding in African researchers to support genetic research led by Africans for Africans.
Dr. Rotimi spent time in Mississippi and Alabama for graduate school. He also worked closely with Dr. Georgia Dunston at Howard University and was recruited to the National Institutes of Health by Dr. Francis Collins.
Researcher
Tshaka Cunningham, PhD
Dr. Tshaka Cunningham is a molecular biologist and entrepreneur. He co-directs a non-profit organization that bridges faith communities with genomic research studies through education and outreach.
Dr. Cunningham grew up in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, and called himself a “cool nerd” growing up. He studied immunology and tumor immunotherapy in France after completing his PhD (post-doc position).
Researcher
Sula Hood, PhD, MPH
Dr. Sula Hood is a senior research scientist of health communication and community engagement. She designs, implements, and evaluates large and small-scale population health programs and interventions focused on cancer, type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell disease, as examples. Dr. Hood's primary research interest focuses on interpersonal health communication (how two or more people talk to one another) in social networks. In particular, she leads studies to understand and improve health information sharing and genetic literacy within families. In her studies, Dr. Hood has partnered with community leaders to deliver family health history education in innovative contexts, such as intergenerational African American family reunions. Dr. Hood is highly sought after to share her expertise on local, regional, and national working groups and advisory committees. She is one of only a few family health history researchers in the country!
Dr. Hood studied English at the College of Wooster in Ohio and later earned her Master of Public Helath (MPH) at St. Louis University in Missouri and PhD in Health Promotion from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Researcher
C. Brandon Ogbunu, PhD
Dr. C Brandon Ogbunu is a computational and evolutionary biologist and professor. His research focuses on evolution using genetics, epidemiology, and computer science. He asks questions like why do things evolve? What influences inside the cell make evolution happen? And, what makes organisms more or less likely to evolve?
Dr. Ogbunu was inspired by his mother—a schoolteacher—and Jane Goodall—a primate biologist—to study evolution. He is from New York City and graduated with a degree in chemistry from Howard University.
Doctor, Researcher
Robert F. Murray, MD
Dr. Robert F. Murray was a medical geneticist whose titles included that of the Chief of the Medical Genetics Division within Howard's College of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Chairman of the Department of Genetics and Human Genetics in Howard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Murray received his medical degree in 1958 from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed his medical residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado in 1962, and served shortly after in the US Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Murray later earned a master's degree in genetics from the University of Washington in Seattle. He was a pioneer in pediatric sickle cell disease research throughout the 1970s. He co-authored the book Genetic Variation and Disorders in People of African Origin with Dr. James Bowman and was vocally against the mandatory sickle cell screening laws in part due to privacy issues and how these laws would disproportionately affect Black children. He supported making the screening voluntary as long as parents were properly informed about the implications of the screening results. In 2011, Dr. Murray was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fourth Roland B. Scott Memorial Symposium at the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease.
One of Dr. Murray's true passions in life was music. He was an accomplished pianist and had a powerful and beautiful singing voice. He was also a talented athlete in his youth and continued to be a fitness buff late in life. Dr. Murray passed away at the age of 90 in Washington, DC.
Doctor, Researcher
James E. Bowman, MD
Dr. James E. Bowman was a skilled pediatrician, pathologist, and professor. Dr. Bowman is known for his work on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, a genetic condition that causes red blood cells to break down in response to certain medications, infections, and other stressors. He studied this disorder while living abroad in Iran and later studied malaria which took him to study in Mexico, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, and other places.
Dr. Bowman also researched and supported education in sickle cell disease.
Dr. Bowman was born in Washington, DC, in 1923, and completed medical school through the military in the era of legalized segregation.
Doctor, Researcher
Neil A. Hanchard, MBBS, DPhil
Dr. Neil Hanchard is a pediatric research geneticist. His research focuses on the genetics of conditions that affect children from all over the world, such as poor diet (malnutrition), sickle cell disease, and high blood pressure (childhood hypertension).
Dr. Hanchard is from Jamaica and completed his doctorate (DPhil) in the UK. Dr. Hanchard enjoys spending time with his family.
Doctor, Researcher
Natario L. Couser, MD, MS
Dr. Natario Couser is a trained pediatric ophthalmic surgeon and clinical geneticist, and is one of only a handful of opthalmic geneticists in the world! “Opthalmic” comes from the word “ophthalmology,” which is the field of medicine that studies the eyes and vision. "Genetics" refers to the study of genes and how traits are passed down to each generation. Dr. Couser is an author of several textbooks, book chapters, and journal articles, has served in leadership roles on editorial boards and national committees, and started the first Opthalmic Genetics Clinical Service in the state of Virginia. He is a clinician scientist, who specializes in managing patients with genetic disorders that affect the eyes and vision.
Dr. Couser was born in Hampton, Virginia, was a first-generation college student, and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Inc., a historically Black fraternity. He learned about the intersection of ophthalmology and genetics during his time as a chief resident at Howard University rotating at the National Institutes of Health. He is a devoted husband, father of four boys, and has mentored over 50 medical students, genetic counseling students, residents, fellows, and premedical students. He is a director at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and faculty member with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland.
Doctor, Educator
April D. Adams, MD, MS
Dr. April D. Adams is a maternal fetal medicine geneticist. “Maternal fetal medicine (MFM)” is the field of medicine that cares for pregnancies at high risk for health conditions that affect the fetus or the mother. Dr. Adams has additional training in genetics which allows her to see and treat fetuses and pregnant people with genetic disorders.
Dr. Adams is passionate about female health and is now the director of the combined MFM-Medical Genetics Fellowship Program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Doctor, Champion
Dallas Reed, MD
Dr. Dallas Reed is an OB/GYN geneticist and senior leader. She is the Division Chief of Genetics, Director of Perinatal Genetics, and Associate Professor of Medicine, OB/GYN, and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. She is a champion for female health and balanced healthcare practices.
Dr. Reed grew up in Plano, Texas, and obtained a scholarship to study at King’s College London where “Photo 51” by Rosalind Franklin was taken!
Doctor, Researcher, Educator
Chester W. Brown, MD, PhD
Dr. Chester W. Brown is a pediatric geneticist and researcher. He is the St. Jude Chair of Excellence in Genetics, Division of Chief of Genetics, and professor of genetics in the state of Tennessee. Dr. Brown is a physician-scientist, which means he holds both a medical degree and a PhD. His research focuses on childhood obesity, rare genetic conditions, and population health. He also has interests in genetics education and engagement.
Dr. Brown was born in Gary, Indiana, and earned a competitive full scholarship to study at Howard University for college. He enjoys music and sports.
Doctor
Kevin E. Glinton, MD
Dr. Kevin E. Glinton is a medical and metabolic geneticist. “Metabolic” or “biochemical geneticists” are geneticists with additional training to see and treat patients with inborn errors of metabolism, conditions where the body cannot breakdown, store, or use certain molecules. They can also see and treat other genetic disorders.
Dr. Glinton studied chemistry at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee—a traditionally black college (HBCU) and obtained his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry before going on to medical school.
Dr. Glinton is a native of the Bahamas!
Pharmacist, Researcher
Cheryl Cropp, PharmD, PhD
Dr. Cheryl Cropp is a pharmacist and pharmacogenomic scientist. "Pharmacogenomics" is the study of how all the genes in the genome influence the way drugs and medicines are broken down and used by the body. Dr. Cropp studied pharmacy at the University of Kentucky and earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics from the University of California, San Francisco. After presenting her work as a PhD student at the National Institutes of Health, she learned about he opportunity to get additional training in family genetics, "big data" analysis, and genome-wide screening and linkage—an area that interested her from her own family history and strong analytic skills. Dr. Cropp is now one of only a few researchers poised to answer questions about how certain drugs and medicines react and respond to our unique body chemistry based on genes. She is now an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Morehouse School of Medicine in Georgia.
Doctor, Genetic Counselor
Lorna Wilkerson, MD, MS
Dr. Lorna Wilkerson was one of the first Black graduates of the Sarah Lawrence College Genetic Counseling Program in Bronxville, New York. She entered the workforce at a time when Black genetic counselors represented 0.1% of the workforce. They now represent 2%. During her early years as a genetic counselor, she felt called by her patients to take a more active role in their care. She later enrolled in medical school at Cornell and eventually became an OB/GYN and female health specialist. She has worked with several institutions in the Boston area, including Harvard and Tufts.
Dr. Wilkerson was the founder of the first national workshop in Social and Cultural Influences in Genetic Counseling.
Nurse Practitioner, Genetic Counselor
Carolyn Allen, DNP, MSN, MS
Dr. Carolyn Allen is a genomics nurse practitioner. She got her start at Howard University (HU) and went off to study genetic counseling at Sarah Lawrence College. Dr. Allen worked as a genetic counselor at HU's Center for Sickle Cell Disease. Then, due to job market limits and her desire for more hands-on care, she took the opportunity to get an accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing. She thrived in high-risk obstetric nursing and continued her education to become a nurse practitioner, educator and researcher. She championed for a previously physician-only fellowship (i.e., American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Genomic Medicine Program Management Fellowship) to be opened to other medical professionals to include genetic counselors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and others with genetic interests. Now as a genomic nurse practitioner, she works with families with rare and undiagnosed diseases, and contributes to finding their diagnosis with an extensive clinical work-up and further research to obtain information toward their well-being. Her passion as an educator extends to the community by speaking to high school and college students about genomics. She also frequently speaks to international audiences about genomics in public health settings.
Dr. Allen is from the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area and loves to travel!
Genetic Counselor
Barbara W. Harrison, MS
Barbara W. Harrison is a clinical genetic counselor, assistant professor, and Assistant Director of Community Education and Outreach for the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease. Barbara has practiced in prenatal, pediatrics, adult, and cancer genetics for over 20 years. She was awarded the 2020 Natalie Weissberger Paul Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
Barbara used to co-direct the Howard University Genetic Counseling Program in the early 2000s and continues to support efforts to transform the genetic counseling workforce with GOLDEN.
Industry Executive, Genetic Counselor
Courtney (Rowell) Tate, MBA, MS
Courtney (Rowell) Tate is a healthcare industry professional with more than 20 years of experience in the diagnostic laboratory industry. Courtney has worked in a variety of commercial functional roles including marketing, client relations, medical affairs and market access/payor relation. Her work has spanned the fields of female health, genetics, inherited diseases, infectious diseases and oncology. Courtney trained as a genetic counselor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and was one of the first graduates to transition from the clinic to industry (at a time when this was not so common!). Courtney opened the door behind her by sponsoring a summer internship stipend at the University of South Carolina Genetic Counseling Program for many years and continues to support her alma mater as well as other genetic counseling programs.
Central to all of her professional roles has been a personal focus and commitment to provide awareness, education, and access to healthcare services to populations (healthcare providers and patients) who may not otherwise have access.
Genetic Counselor, Educator
Alicia Gomes, MS
Alicia Gomes is a genetic counselor with experience in the clinic, genetic testing laboratories, and as an assistant professor. She is a global expert on genetic testing and counseling for neurofibromatosis type 1, type 2, and schwannomatosis—uncommon genetic conditions linked to a propensity to develop certain growths and tumors.
She has co-authored chapters in textbooks and over 15 medical research articles.
Alicia completed her genetic counselor training at the University of South Carolina and enjoys all flavors of chocolate!
Genetic Counselor
Jason Carmichael, MS
Jason Carmichael is a clinical genetic counselor specializing in prenatal and pediatric genetics in California. In addition to his clinical work, he manages and oversees a team of genetic counselors and precision medicine initiatives. Jason has also been involved in institution and state-level policy decisions affecting electronic health records and workflows for newborn screening.
Jason grew up in a military family and spent three years between Mali and Cameroon as a HIV/Health Educator as part of the Peace Corps!
Genetic Counselor, Champion
Liann Jimmons, MS
Liann Jimmons (she/they) is a clinical genetic counselor with experience in public health, metabolic, pediatric, cancer, and endocrine genetics. She is a fierce supporter of genomic justice and involving queer, disabled, and people of color in conversations and decisions made for and about them. Their presentations and written works confront the eugenic roots of this field, how those ideas and practices still persist, and what can be done instead to empower communities that have been harmed.
Liann graduated from the Boise State University Genetic Counseling program and recently co-authored a chapter in the new edition of the Guide to Genetic Counseling textbook. She has two rescued cats (Tuna and Pretzel) and Ocho, her paraparetic dog on wheels! Outside of work, Liann enjoys martial arts, bad reality TV, cooking, volunteering, and beaching.
Researcher, Genetic Counselor
Grace-Anne Fasaye, ScM
Grace-Anne Fasaye is a research genetic counselor specializing in hereditary cancer syndromes. A “syndrome” is a pattern of symptoms that occur together more often than expected by random chance. For instance, much of Grace’s work has focused on studying the gene CDH1 which is not only linked to gastric (stomach) cancer but a specific form of breast cancer. Grace sees patients with this condition and others working with a team of doctors and researchers to study the effects of different cancer treatments, the effect of certain genetic variants, and patient outcomes.
Grace trained at the Johns Hopkins University and National Human Genome Research Institute and co-founded GOLDEN with Barbara Harrison. She has been a longtime supporter of transforming the genetic counseling workforce.
Grace grew up in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area and has Nigerian heritage.
Sociologist, Champion
Troy Duster, PhD, MA
Dr. Troy Duster is an important sociologist in the history of human genetics. A "sociologist" studies society, often focused on topics of crime and law, education, social movements, and human categories. Dr. Duster was an early—and to some, controversial—voice against ignoring skin color when talking about health and social outcomes. He argued that some researchers would look for, or claim, these outcomes were solely due to genetic and biological reasons instead of supremacist beliefs. As Dr. Duster voiced these concerns, always backed by research, he was regularly asked to help shift and play a part in these scientific, sometimes political, conversations. Dr. Duster wrote The Legislation of Morality (1970), Backdoor to Eugenics (1990), and Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Colorblind Society (2003), these were some of his most popular books. Dr. Duster was a contributing member of the International HapMap Project and chair of the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Committee of the Human Genome Project. In his career, Dr. Duster has held leadership positions such as Chancellor's professor and Senior Fellow of the Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, Chair of UC Berkeley's sociology department, Director of the Institute of the Study of Social Change, president of the American Sociological Association, and visiting scholar, traveling across the continents to give talks related to race and genetics.
Dr. Duster grew up on the southside of Chicago with a single parent and three older siblings. He attended Northwestern University on an academic scholarship and where he studied journalism. He later earned his master's degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his PhD in Sociology from Northwestern in the early 1960s (in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement in America). Dr. Duster has been lauded and appreciated by colleagues and friends as an incredible mind, mentor, master "code-switcher," and friend.
Researcher, Educator, ELSI Scholar
Vence L. Bonham, Jr, JD
Mr. Vence L. Bonham is a health disparities and ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) researcher. Mr. Bonham spent his early career as a faculty member at Michigan State University in the Colleges of Human and Osteopathic Medicine with an adjunct appointment in the Michigan State University College of Law where he taught medical and law students, and conducted research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics. He joined the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in Bethesda, Maryland in the early 2000s and established an ELSI research program in the Intramural Research Program, Social and Behavioral Research Branch (yes, you can have a lab and do research as a lawyer in genomics!)
Mr. Bonham has provided pioneering leadership for many programs at NHGRI, focused on education otureach and workforce development.
Bioinformatics Scientist
Janina Jeff, PhD, MS
Dr. Janina Jeff is a bioinformatics scientist. “Bioinformatics” sits at the intersection of computer science and biology. Dr. Jeff studies the human genome to look at genetic differences and similarities between human populations. She also works to make sure that our library of genomes has a book from all populations, not just some.
Dr. Jeff was the first African American woman to graduate from Vanderbilt University with a PhD in Human Genetics. Dr. Jeff is also an award-winning podcaster (Check out “In those Genes” on Spotify!).
Dr. Jeff grew up in Louisiana and is a lover of house plants and hip-hop.
Health Scientist, Champion
Altovise T. Ewing-Crawford, PhD, MS
Dr. Altovise T. Ewing-Crawford is a genomic health scientist and scholar. She works to advance practices that meet the medical needs of people where they are: through location, language, transportation, education, religion, financial, and more. Dr. Ewing’s work focuses on transforming health practices in cancer and genetic/genomic testing.
Dr. Ewing earned her PhD and trained as a genetic counselor at Howard University. Prior to this, she taught middle school through Teach for America for two years!
Dr. Ewing is a first generation college student and grew up in Pulaski, Tennessee.
Champion
Victoria Gray
Victoria Gray was born and raised outside of Jackson, Mississippi. She was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at three years old and in adulthood, was the first American patient treated with CRISPR-based gene therapy for the disease.
“CRISPR” is short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats.” CRISPR comes from nature, using lessons learned from the way bacteria adapt to and fight viruses by adopting short pieces of their DNA. This adopted DNA can then be transcribed to RNA (remember the central dogma?) which can make precise cuts into the genome of similar attackers. Researchers have now learned how to harness this process to make edits to the human genome. A remarkable scientific advance which led to a Nobel Prize.
Victoria was effectively “cured” of sickle cell disease through a clinical trial in the summer of 2019. She is a mother of four and now enjoys a symptom-free life with family and friends in Mississippi. She is now a passionate public speaker and champion.
Champion
Erika Stallings
Erika Stallings is a lawyer, writer, and patient advocate based in New York City. In 2014, she learned that she carried a non-working copy of the BRCA2 gene and underwent a preventative mastectomy later that year. A “preventative mastectomy” is a surgical procedure that removes all breast tissue in one or both breasts. Due to the high chance of developing breast cancer with a non-working BRCA2 gene copy, a preventative mastectomy can reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer and add years to a person’s life. About 1 in 400 people having a non-working copy of the BRCA2 gene.
Erika is now dedicated to raising awareness of hereditary cancer and genetic counseling and testing in the Black community.
Champion
Sarita Edwards, MHA
Sarita Edwards is an award-winning patient expert, social health ambassador, and international public speaker. She is also the mother of a son with trisomy 18.
Trisomy 18 is a chromosomal disorder associated with significant cognitive and physical disabilities. Trisomy 18 is one of the few genetic conditions screened for during pregnancy. It affects 1 in 5000 to 6000 live births each year. A fetus with a high chance of having trisomy 18 can typically be detected by ultrasound or genetic testing. For Sarita and her family, accessing care was not easy. The nearest clinics and therapy centers were two hours away and early on, care was withheld for fear for poor life expectancy.
Sarita went on to establish the E.WE Foundation in 2019 with her husband to support other families impacted by trisomy 18 and other rare diseases. Sarita has a master’s degree in healthcare administration.
Champion
Laura Crandon
Laura Crandon is a community connector and breast cancer survivor. She attended her routine breast cancer screenings as recommended in her mid 40s and was initially told she had “dense breasts” from the scans. This finding is common but makes it more difficult to determine whether cancer is present or not. It is also reported most frequently in African American females. This combination of facts often results in fewer referrals for further testing in this group. About a year later, Laura found a lump in her breasts by self-exam which unfortunately turned out to be metastatic cancer.
Laura underwent treatment and has now dedicated much of her time to educating Black and African American communities about the importance of cancer screening and early detection. She also encourages communities and policymakers to increase access to genetic testing and including people of color in clinical trials.
Laura started the non-profit organization Touch4Life in 2020 and works tirelessly to connect the community with healthcare champions to reduce the gaps in care and outcomes for minority communities.
End
You are Black History in the Making!
As you've seen, the field of genetics has been shaped by the brilliance, determination, and pioneering spirit of Black trailblazers. Let this showcase inspire you to chase your dreams. Many on this list are still with us and eager to support you on your journey of studying genetics and its implications. Though challenges may come up, draw strength from the giants whose shoulders you stand upon. You are Black history in the making.