When Dr. Charmaine Royal asked all of us what kind of research we would be doing this summer, I was excited to relate my work in a molecular genetics lab with her genetics research. Instead, she described an entirely different way of looking at genetics, one that I had never considered before. Dr. Royal investigated the differences between the biological and social constructs of race. But instead of looking at DNA, she focuses on the consequences of variation in human DNA on a much larger scale.
Dr. Royal explained that in order for two species to diverge into races they have genes that are 2.5% different. However, any two humans only differ by 0.1%. Therefore, the idea that humans are different is a social construct, not a biological one. Dr. Royal now works to break down this social construct acorss many areas of society, such as in sports and medicine.
Beyond Dr. Royal’s research, her story of how she got to her career today was reassuring. Everyone at Duke seems to know exactly where they will be in five or ten years. But Dr. Royal told us that she had to switch majors late in her undergraduate career, meaning she had to spend extra time to finish her new major. To us that sounds scary but spending more time in order to have a career she loves was worth it for Dr. Royal.
Dr. Royal’s talk surprised me the most as I went in assuming I would hear about techniques I was using in the lab. Instead I was able to see my field of research from a new perspective. Dr. Royal’s personal story inspires me to find something I am passionate about. Thank you Dr. Royal and all the other amazing faculty members who took the time to speak to us this summer!
