There’s a commonly held belief that Black folks are thicker, bigger, and carry more fat than others…but where did this idea that our bodies only look a certain way come from? Join us as we disentangle fact from oftentimes fat-phobic fiction when it comes to assumptions about how our bodies are shaped. . In our Season 2 finale, "Baby Got Black", we dissect whether here is a genetic difference between the body shape of Black folks compared to other populations. Black women and men have consistently been exoticisized for their unique body features. We explore the genetics behind this starting wit ..read more

Wanna make money? Wanna find bae?? Or maybe you want to find all your cuzins in the world?! You can do all this with your DNA and in this episode we each you how. Then we'll be speaking with a genealogy enthusiast who has used his data to go on to discover over 20,000 relatives and become an internationally known advocate and educator of genealogical research. And as always, I'll leave you with some encouraging words about do it yourself science in the black community. . **NEW WEEKLY UPDATES on DAT RONA (aka SARs-COV2/COVID-19)!! That's right every week for the rest of season 1, we will be giv ..read more

This week we take you on the dopest hip hop odyssey ever! First, we learn how companies determine your tribe through the elements of a hip hop song. Then we review two Black owned genetics companies through a RAP BATTLE!!! Lastly, Dr. Jeff gives you more Afrofuturism vibes as she discusses her favorite consumer genetics company. . Here is a link to the Birthday Song by Chad Milner https://open.spotify.com/track/1aoceUDXDxMBjJQDo9nRm3?si=4Ph8qJO6SJOpT-bxrk5DKA . Here is a link to the Mitochondrial Eve paper Dr. Kittles references https://www.nature.com/articles/325031a0 . You can learn more abo ..read more

Sankofa is a Ghanian principle that means go back and fetch it, referencing the idea that we must never forget about our past as we continue to embark on this journey called life. Genetics is a manifestation of the Sankofa principal, having the ability to learn about our past through our DNA. This episode will explore the many facets of how we define the Black identity genetically and culturally as well as meaningful conversation with ‘The Jeff’s’, the parents of Dr. Jeff, host of the show. Weekly episodes of In Those Genes will start February 4th, 2020! Be on the lookout of our launch event F ..read more

This week we travel to 1989 to a conversation with Dr. Edwards and NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and we bring in the science we learned last week about what role genetics has in athletic ability to this critical conversation about Black superior athletes. . Blackletes Fact and Fiction dissects the claims made in the NBC News Tonight broadcast, “Black Athletes Fact and Fiction” featuring our guest from last week, Dr. Harry Edwards. We use the scientific method as a basis to critique the claims made then with available genetic technology at the time as well as what is available now. We also hear Dr ..read more

Serena Williams. Usian Bolt. Michael Jordan. Some of the world’s strongest, fastest, and most decorated athletes are Blackity Black. Sometimes people chalk this up to genetics, claiming that this sort of extraordinary athleticism is unique to Black folks’ ancestry. Is there any truth to that claim? In this episode, we untangle what role genetics has in athletic ability and map out how Black Americans came to be viewed as superior athletes in the first place. . Blackletes explores the genetics behind athleticism with sports culture and biomechanist experts. We understand why there is an overrep ..read more

Oral history is such an integral part of our family history and our collective story as African descendents; without our elders passing this history to us much of our Black History would remain unknown. This Black History Month, we revisit an episode from Season 1 that features one of my newest ancestors, the late “Uncle Warren” and other elders in my hometown of New Orleans as they discuss their views and concerns about commercial genetic testing. . Bonus Episode - “A Tribute to Uncle Warren- Re-airing of “Ion Trust Dem People from Season 1” - In this episode Sam and I travel to my hometown ..read more

It isn’t hard to point out the person in the room who is clapping off beat. But how can we use the scientific method to study why some folks are rhythmically coordinated and others not? How does one’s ancestry play into this? In this bonus episode, we head to the In Those Genes lab with neuroscientist AZA Allsop, MD, PhD to map out a hypothetical study using genetics and neurology that could help explain why some of us can catch a beat and others not. . Be sure to listen to the first part of this episode! Episode 4: R&B: Rhythm and Blackness: https://pod.link/1489257965/episode/7fae62b2aad ..read more

We all got that one friend that just can’t seem to catch the beat. And yes…yes, they usually are. But is rhythm really a thing you either have or you don’t? Are some of us just born with a rhythm and others not? Could this be explained by genetics? In this episode, we break down what rhythm actually is, and talk to experts who help us understand how neuroscience, genetics, and culture shape the conversation around Black people and our relationship to rhythm and music. . Episode 4: R&B- “Rhythm and Blackness” dives deep into the notion that Black people have rhythm and that it is genetic. W ..read more

After some time traveling, and understanding why we all look so different, it’s time we look at the age old question: Why aren’t Black people aging? Through all of the beauty products, and magazines that promote youth, Black people never really seem to age. It’s cultural at this point with its cornerstone being JET magazine’s 1970 “Black Don’t Crack” . “Black Don’t Crack” is an adage that assumes that Black people age slower. This episode addresses the genetics behind physical characteristics we associate with aging such as skin (wrinkles and folds), hair loss, memory and telomere length (cell ..read more