Iowa City Darwin Day Events

Dr. Carin Bondar is a biologist and science communicator from the University of the Fraser Valley (British Columbia, Canada). Bondar is author of the books Wild Sex and Wild Moms (Pegasus). She is writer and host of the online series based on her books (Wild Sex and Wild Moms) which have garnered over 120,000,000 views. She is host of several TV series including Worlds Oddest Animal Couples (Animal Planet, Netflix), Stephen Hawking’s Brave New World (Discovery World HD, National Geographic) and Outrageous Acts of Science (The Science Channel). Bondar is an adventurer and explorer, having discovered 11 new species of beetles and snails in the remote jungles of Borneo. Bondar is also a mom of 4 kids, two boys and two girls.

John Novembre is a computational biologist who studies human evolutionary history, population structure and migration, and the etiology of genetic diseases. He develops novel data visualization and analysis techniques to investigate the correlations among genomic diversity, geography, and demographic structure. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2015.

Anya Prince is Associate Professor of Law and Member of the University of Iowa Genetics Cluster. Her teaching and research interests explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic testing, with particular focus on genetic discrimination and privacy rights, the intersection of clinical and research ethics, and insurance coverage of genetic technologies and interventions. Professor Prince has published a variety of articles in legal, bioethics, and medical journals, including the American Journal of Bioethics, Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, and Genetics in Medicine. She was recently awarded a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Human Genome Research Institute to examine the use of genetic information by life, long-term care, and disability insurers.

Professor Charmaine Royal’s visit has been cancelled due to illness. Her talks will be rescheduled for a later time. All other events will take place as planned. 

Charmaine Royal is a 2020 Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor. She is Associate Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke University. She is also core faculty in the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, senior fellow in Kenan Institute for Ethics, and faculty in the Social Science Research Institute where she directs the Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference and the Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation. Dr. Royal’s research, scholarship, and teaching focus on ethical, legal, and social issues in genetics and genomics, particularly the intersection of race and genetics and its policy implications and practical interventions.