AHS19

Nothing in biology is certain, and the nature of statistics means we can only think about the probabilities. The same is true of genetics; your genes alter the probabilities, but they do not determine the outcome. While we are increasingly obsessed with our genome, and can measure tens of thousands of changes in our individual “code”, we forget that almost no intervention has been truly tested based on common genetic differences. And those that have often prove unsuccessful. In fact, multiple studies now show that simply thinking you have a certain genetic polymorphism has a greater effect on your physiology than the polymorphism itself. This is particularly concerning considering that direct-to-consumer genetic testing is often not accurate. This talk will cover why genetics are just probabilities that should never be our main focus, and why the environment will always triumph when it comes to your health.