Samples, stories, and pictures from a successful trip

(KC and collaborator, John Hawley, with the Kalinago council after reaching an agreement) Since reaching our fundraising goal we have made great progress in the search for the East Asian skin color gene. We spent the first half of 2014 planning for the trip (double, triple, quadruple checking approvals and equipment packing lists), and the …

Gift of Science – Card ideas

Let’s be honest: Uncle Steve is going to return those argyle socks. And yes, Aunt Marge loves your hand-knitted sweaters, but still, don’t you think 37 is a little overboard for someone who lives in Florida?  This year, why not show your family and friends how much you really care by giving a gift that …

Tips for fieldwork: Packing

One quick tip for “Packing for Fieldwork”: Pack your clothes in a sealable bags (or waterproof packing cubes) before packing them in suitcase/backpack. This will prevent your clothes from getting dirty/ wet if accident happens. Divide them into few sealable bags will be best. Then, you can also differentiate dirty vs clean clothes when you …

Tips for fieldwork: Know the climate

The opportunity for ‘squint’ a.k.a. researcher like me to go into the field is always very exiting that some of the important preparations for fieldwork are forgotten. In the next few weeks, I would like to share with you some tips about fieldwork. While having the right sampling equipment or as I love to call …

Exploring an age-old question: Can we demystify skin color?

Our understanding of European skin is already partially delineated: in 2005, our lab uncovered one of the most pervasive genetic mutations(SLC24A5) that contribute to the light color of European skin. Europeans also carry a 10 to 20-fold increase in melanoma susceptibility (one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer) when compared to Africans. Surprisingly, East Asians, …