User:Spspriggs17/sandbox

Background on Studies:
Lahn has quite a few study interests, including, Human Genetics, Evolutionary Genetics, stem cell biology, and epigenetics. Human Genetics is the study of the inheritance patterns passed from parents to offspring in humans. Human Evolutionary Genetics is the study of how one genome is different from another which leads to evolutionary developments. Stem Cell Biology is the study of cells capable of evolving into any of the different specialized cells. Epigenetics is the study of changes within an organism due to a change in the gene expression itself rather than a change in the genetic code.

What he is doing with these studies:
Lahn has many different studies with Stem Cells that he is currently working on. They range anywhere from looking at if the suicide gene can be modified with stem cells, to looking at stem cells as a potential source to treat testicular dysfunctions.

Contributions to Science:
His research on the microcephaly-associated gene, MCPH1, led to the hypothesis that an archaic Homo sapiens lineage such as the Neanderthals might have contributed to the recent development of the human brain. His research also suggested that newly arisen variants of two brain size genes, ASPM and MCPH1, might have been favored by positive natural selection in recent human history. This research provoked controversy due to the finding that the positively selected variants of these genes had spread to higher frequencies in some parts of the world than in others (for ASPM, it is higher in Europe and surrounding regions than other parts of the world; for MCPH1, it is higher outside sub-Saharan Africa than inside). He has advocated the moral position that human genetic diversity should be embraced and celebrated as among humanity's great assets.

Lahn has many different studies with Stem Cells that he is currently working on. They range anywhere from looking at if the suicide gene can be modified with stem cells, to looking at stem cells as a potential source to treat testicular dysfunctions.

Overview:
Bruce Lahn is a Chinese-born American scientists. He currently works at the University of Chicago. In the past he has studied human genetics and evolutionary genetics. His main objective with previous studies was to study the evolution of human sex chromosomes and the underlying basis for the growth of the human brain. Lahn is currently doing a wide spread of stem cell research as well as working with epigenetics. Lahn's previous research has led to the hypothesis that the Neanderthals contributed to evolution of the human brain's size. Lahn is working to do a lot of research on the different properties of stem cells.