Cynthia Beall co-organized a symposium on “Evolutionary Biology Impacts on Medicine and Public Health” at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Speakers in the cross-cutting session included anthropologists, biologists, and physician-scientists who are using evolutionary principles to address health, optimal environments, vulnerability to disease, and treatment options across the human life cycle. Evolutionary biology – our own, as well as that of microbial and cancer cells – is fundamental to solving problems in modern medicine and public health, such as the emergence of resistance to therapy, the search for effective therapies and preventions, and the rise in chronic disease. In some situations, applying evolutionary principles can reduce the spread or severity of illness or slow the emergence of resistance to therapy. In other situations, such as reproduction, sepsis, or dental disease, our evolutionary history may make us vulnerable to disorders. Read more about the AAAS Meeting and the Symposium, links provided below.

https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2016/webprogram/Session11937.html

https://storify.com/Mammals_Suck/evolutionary-medicine-at-aaas-2016