Posted By: Sara Cullinan, PhD, Deputy Editor, AJHG
Each month, the editors of The American Journal of Human Genetics interview an author of a recently published paper. This month we check in with Elizabeth Wright to discuss her paper ‘Practical and ethical considerations of using the results of personalized DNA ancestry tests with middle-school-aged learners’.
AJHG: What prompted you to start working on this project?
Elizabeth: I could give you a long answer about being a former middle school science teacher and what drove me to get a PhD in Science Education, but simply put, I am committed to finding ways for each and every student to see themselves connected to science and each other, and supporting teachers in that work.
AJHG: What about this paper/project most excites you?
Elizabeth: I am equally thrilled and cautious about having adolescents use their own personal DNA to explore who they are genetically, genealogically/socioculturally, and intentionally. We are not all of one thing and none of another. We can use what we know about pieces of ourselves to imagine something new and amazing. We can reveal these pieces of ourselves to our families and friends and see how we are connected to each other and the grander tree of life.
AJHG: Thinking about the bigger picture, what implications do you see from this work for the larger human genetics community?
Elizabeth: In the previous question I mentioned a bit about what thrills me. I am cautious because the privacy issues surrounding over-the-counter, direct-to-consumer DNA testing are monumental, and ever-shifting. It is both exciting and nerve-wrecking to ask, and watch, young scholars to embark on this intellectual journey. The engagement and electricity in the classroom when young scientists encounter themselves in new and unique ways keeps me going.
AJHG: What advice do you have for trainees/young scientists?
Elizabeth: I think the most important thing I would say is: you belong here. You belong in science. Your voice, your experiences, your viewpoint are all incredibly important. If you feel left out or unwelcome, create your own community and persevere because you are going to change things.
AJHG: And for fun, tell us something about your life outside of the lab.
Elizabeth: I’m a Red Sox season ticket holder and I love the game of baseball. I’ve been to baseball games in 27 different MLB parks, and 3 AAA baseball parks. Also, I love Orangetheory Fitness! Base-Push-All Out, that’s good advice.
Elizabeth Wright, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Jablonski laboratory at Pennsylvania State University.