Biology, Natural History Museum, and Public Library to host National DNA Day events

Events will encourage genomics and genetics education
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The University of Iowa will host National DNA Day events on April 24 and 25 focused on The Personal Genome.

Julie Granka
Dr. Julie Granka

On Sunday, April 24, 3:00pm, in Kollros Auditorium of Biology Building East (210 E. Iowa Ave.), Julie Granka, Ph.D., will present nsights from AncestryDNA, a behind-the-scenes view of findings from more than 1.5 million AncestryDNA customers.

On Monday, April 25, Noon-3:00pm, in the 2nd floor computer room of the Iowa City Public Library, University of Iowa students from the Personal Genome Learning Center will provide hands-on assistance with the navigation and interpretation of results from direct-to-consumer DNA tests, such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe. Both events are free and open to the public.

These Iowa City events are part of National DNA Day celebrations promoted by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

National DNA Day raises awareness about the discovery of DNA's double helix by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 and the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. This annual celebration offers students, teachers, and the public many exciting opportunities to learn about the latest advances in genomic research and explore how those advances might impact their lives.

For more information about National DNA Day programs, or to see the complete list of National DNA Day events, please visit www.genome.gov/DNADay.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please email Steve Kehoe or call 319.335.1050 in advance of the event.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.