Addressing Diversity and Inclusion in Human Genetics Research
Diversity is literally built into our DNA. Mutation, recombination, and non-assortative mating have all contributed to the wonderful explosion in human variation we witness today. Though humans largely share a commongenetic blueprint, they also exhibit marvelous diversity in phenotype, including susceptibility to disease. It is foolish to ignore the full catalog of human genetic variation. The larger the lens, the wider the swath of biologywe can capture; the longer the generation tree, the more time for mutations to occur; thebroader the geography, the greater the opportunity for genetic drift and natural selection. These truths enable investigators to leverage such differences for discovery, fine-mapping, and understanding health disparities.Geneticdiscovery in a specific ethnic group has the potential to benefit everyone. A variant that increases disease susceptibility in one group not only has public health implications for that group, but it may also point to a novel molecular pathway whose perturbation may confer a benefit whether the recipient carries the variant or not: statins benefit not only those with familiar hypercholesterolemia mutations, and a drug developed fromgeneticdiscovery inLatinosmaybeuseful for those of African, European, or Asian descent. It is therefore time to break down the barriers that constrain global discovery. With due attention to privacy concerns, with the ethical imperative to avoid exploitation, and with the appropriate incorporation of cultural sensitivities, we should embrace the notion that ourDNA is the commonpatrimony of all humankind, and thediversitywithin it enriches us all. Toward Global Genomics