Are There Any Geneticists In The House?

Just wondering how many clinical/molecular/ geneticists are there in the house. If there are, what are you doing with your qualifications? I am a final year undergraduate and can't wait to finish and graduate this summer. Yay!

"A geneticist is a scientist who studies genes, or a physician who diagnoses, treats, and counsels patients with genetic disorders or syndromes. These doctors are typically trained in a genetics residency or fellowship. Many are pediatricians, but some are not."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneticist (for those of us who don't know )

@amani

@amani

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation in such an exciting field.  Genetics is the next big thing.  Or it already is.  I am very interested in the subject though not formally educated in it.  I read  a lot.  I'm especially interested in the anthropology application of genetics, such as the research into human population migrations using genetic markers.  I have enrolled as a subject in the National Geographic Genographic Project studying human migration patterns.  Of course you know we all came from a small population in eastern Africa some 150,000 years ago.  We are all close cousins as it were.  Here are two web sites you might find interesting:

http://vetinarilord..com/

https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html

Good luck to you.  I hope you will be able to advance your education in the field and we will be someday reading your research in scientific journals. 

@Imani
Sorry I spelled your name wrong

@Mama Mary,

Thanks for your reply. Don't worry about the name mix up amani/imani who cares I like the websites you recommended especially the natural geographic one. thanks You are right!!! Genetics is going to be the next big thing. Only a matter of time. I am currently having lectures on the history of humans. People have been trying to construct all types of phylogenetic trees using DNA markers to test evolutionary processes andd relationships as the old method of using fossil evidence is becoming unreliable. It is kind of mind blowing that humans have this natural desire to know things hence the search and reconstruction of past events including those that happened in the ice age and beyond.

Modern use of genetics while exciting on one hand may be uncomfortable on the other. In the UK, the government will be introducing biometric passports for all citizens. There is currently a debate in the House of Lords and the lower parliamentary houses about this. This passport will not only contain photographic and personal evidence but also your unique genetic fingerprint. This will make it easier for authorities to monitor and have information about everyone including genetic information such as blood genotype, blood group, history of familiar diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart problems etc. There are lots of ethical issues involved with this kind of information. There is a lot about infringement of privacy by both government and other bodies like insurance companies who could potentially use such information to discriminate. I think countries like the United States are already adopting this kind of passports. Please correct me if i am wrong.


I really like my course. But the final year has been a great challenge but i believe i will sail through. Please keep reading so i have someone with a similar interest to rub minds with

I obtained a degree in medical science, which included several advanced classes in Genetics. It was fun while it lasted. I went on for a higher degree, which automatically took me into the area of medical research.

So, unless you become a genetics teacher, you almost invariably end up in research as a geneticist.

You'll probably need a PhD in your field to enjoy the full benefits of the profession (5+ more years after your BSc). Most people I know in Genetics are PhD holders.

You may consider BioInformatics if you like computer databases, and also enjoy Biostatistics and Molecular Biology.

I know a few powerful people in America. There is interest today among Afro Americans to know their ancestry. I can introduce you to some of these people. Maybe you can serve as their contact in Africa. Basically, I see you travelling to remote African villages for DNA samples. You then build a huge database from the results of the genetic analysis. Blacks around the world can then use your database as a reference point to determine their ancestry.

@oasis

Yes, many Americans are interested in genetic testing for genealogical purposes, black and white. It's fascinating. Maybe you saw the program in February hosted by Henry Louis Gates on PBS about tracing African roots for several Afro-American celebrities. Oprah Winfrey, Mae Jamison, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones and several others. Oprah was surprised she wasn't Zulu, but history wasn't in her favor. Almost all Afro-Americans are west African. Henry Gates was surprised to learn that he has only 50% African heritage. The peculiar thing about "race" in America is that one must "choose" which race to belong to. Nowhere else in the world is it this way. Many whites in the US have African ancestry that they are unaware of. The wonderful thing about this work is that it blows the whole idea of race away. The world gets smaller every day.

@Mama Mary

Genetics as a tool for constructing geneology is fascinating. Americans of European descent have done a whole lot of work in this area. You can go online and literarily dig up your ancestry from the geneology websites. Africa is still lagging behind in this area, just like all other areas.

Although we have highly educated scientists in Africa, they have little access to the vast funding resources around the globe. And our government that should be funding these kinds of research projects has no clue what it's doing. Furthermore, I find Africans to be apathetic of white people, leading to an inability to pursue funding sources located outside of Africa.

I met Reverend Al Sampson recently. He only just got DNA tested, and determined his ancestry to be Nigeria (Igbo) + Sierra Leone. Because most Afro Americans are Afrocentric, this could be a big area to be in for any geneticist in Africa.

HERE I AM! I'm a DNA Testing Agent.
I own my own business here in the USA. It's fun and exciting work to do. I feel like I'm helping people by doing DNA testing.
And yes @ Mama Mary you you are so right. Since the Louis Gates PBS special, I've had several request. I've even gotten a request to test someones dog!!! Yes, ain't that crazy? She wants to make sure the dog is a pure breed.
Also, DNA Test are used to resolve the issue of "Who's the father of the baby?" If a female has 2 or more suspected men as a childs father, I'm hired to give each "potential" a DNA test to find out who is really the childs father.
I also do Forensic Testing. I can find out if your spouse has been cheating, and also I can test the evidence from a rape case as well. A lot of men have been released from their prison sentences because a DNA Test has proved that they were not the accused rapiest in a case!!!

@ Imani, CONGRATULATIONS! Good Luck and may God Bless You!