The NSF funded National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), directed by Allen Rodrigo, has funded a Working Group of scientists and educators to develop model curricula aimed at infusing medical education with evolutionary thinking.

The group, chaired by Mark Schwartz (NYU, Internal Medicine) and Peter Ellison (Harvard, Anthropology), will meet during the next two years.   A separate Advisory Group, with distinguished medical leaders, will guide the project. See below for a list of all participants.

Project Summary

Evolutionary biology is a foundational and integrative science for medicine, but few physicians or medical researchers are familiar with its most relevant principles. While undergraduate students have increasing opportunities to learn about the interface of evolution, health, and disease, most premedical students have scant room for electives in their schedules, few premed prerequisite courses incorporate evolutionary thinking, and no medical school develops these competencies. The overarching goal of this Working Group is to lay the groundwork for future endeavors by providing testable models and pathways for infusing premedical and medical education with evolutionary thinking. This Working Group, an interdisciplinary, international, and intergenerational group of physicians, scientists, educators, and students, will 1) define core competencies in evolutionary biology for physicians and other health professionals; 2) investigate the ability of current curricula to prepare health professionals to meet these standards; 3) identify “teachable moments” that provide opportunities to integrate evolutionary principles into premedical and medical curricula; 4) design model curricula and learning experiences that can advance evolutionary education for health professionals; and 5) provide open access to these resources and disseminate them. The Working Group will be supported by an Advisory Committee of senior academic leaders and stakeholders. These efforts will not be sufficient in themselves, but they will establish the intellectual platform from which educational interventions on student learning, and scientific and clinical problem solving, can be developed and tested.

 

Advisory Committee:
Name Degree Field Institution
Harvey Fineberg, Chair MD, PhD Health Policy IOM
Gil Omenn MD, PhD Genetics and Public Health Univ. of Michigan Medical School
Jeffrey Flier MD Endocrinology Harvard Medical School
Robert J. Alpern MD Nephrology Yale University School of Medicine
David Asai PhD Undergraduate Science Education Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Carol Aschenbrener MD Pathology, AMC Culture & Education Assoc. of American Medical Colleges
Jay Labov PhD Biology, Education NAS, National Research Council

 

Working Group Members

Name Degree Field Institution
Mark Schwartz, PI MD Internal Medicine, Med Education NYU School of Medicine
Peter Ellison, Co-PI PhD Anthropology, Evolutionary Bio Harvard University
Stephen Stearns PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University
Randolph Nesse MD Psychiatry, Evolutionary Medicine Univ. of Michigan
Peter Gluckman MD, PhD Pediatrics, Perinatal Biology Univ of Auckland Liggins Institute
Brandon Hidaka BS Medicine University of Kansas Medical Center
Chris Reiber PhD, MPH Biomedical Anthropology, Epidemiology SUNY Binghamton
Gillian Bentley PhD Anthropology Durham University
William Aird MD Vascular Medicine Harvard Univ School of Medicine
Cynthia Beall PhD Anthropology Case Western
Athena Aktipis PhD Psychology and Evolution Arizona State Univ and UCSF
Andrew Read PhD Biology Penn State
Judy Scotchmoor BS Biology UC Museum of Paleontology
Magdalena Hurtado PhD Human Evolution & Social Change School of Human Evolution and Social Change Biodesign Institute – Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology Arizona State University
Joseph L Graves PhD Environmental, Evolutionary and Systematic Biology North Carolina A&T State University
Barbara Natterson MD Cardiology UCLA
Terry Wolpaw MD Internal Medicine, Med Education Case School of Medicine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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