Lara Durgavich: An evolutionary perspective on human health and disease

An evolutionary perspective on human health and disease

How does your genetic inheritance, culture and history influence your health? Biological anthropologist Lara Durgavich discusses the field of evolutionary medicine as a gateway to understanding the quirks of human biology -- including why a genetic mutation can sometimes have beneficial effects -- and emphasizes how unraveling your own evolutionary past could glean insights into your current and future health.

Human health is shaped not just by current biology but by centuries of evolutionary trade-offs. A gene mutation that causes fatal Tay-Sachs disease persisted at high rates among Ashkenazi Jews because carriers were more likely to survive tuberculosis in crowded European ghettos. Evolutionary medicine reveals that what seems harmful now may once have offered life-saving protection. Understanding this deeper history helps explain why bodies are still vulnerable to disease, and how culture and ancestry affect health risks.