Freshmen Research Immersion (FRI)
(ANTH 206, ANTH 306):
Focus on collecting and analyzing data to create better solutions to health problems and better inform public health policy. Using collected survey data and public databases and techniques developed by researchers, students test hypotheses, analyze data and examine patterns to inform policy relating to: mental health, maternal and child health, obesity, chronic disease prevention research and/or social determinants of health. The stream is led by Research Educator Dr. Jodi Dowthwaite, and the team of faculty stream collaborators consists of Professors Yvonne Johnston, Miesha Marzell, and Titilayo Okoror.
MOLECULAR & BIOMEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (MABA) STREAM:
Focus on population genetics and Tickborne diseases. The stream's current research focuses on two general topics: human genetic diversity in the understudied populations of the Middle East and Oceania, and genetics of Lyme disease bacteria and other tick-borne diseases. In order to do so, members of our laboratories utilize genetic data from numerous large databases as well as the extensive archives of biological specimens housed at Binghamton University’s Biospecimen Archive Facility and Tick-borne Disease Research Center. Beyond research education, learning outcomes of the MABA stream courses emphasize an ethical and respectful approach to study of individuals and populations, the health impact of socioeconomic disparities and systemic racism in the United States, and the necessity of an anthropological approach to health and healthcare.
The stream is led by Research Educator Dr. Michel Shamoon-Pour, and the team of faculty stream collaborators include Professors Ralph M. Garruto, J. Koji Lum, and D. Andrew Merriwether.
