I am a Multi: our genetic ancestry through art and narrative

Lynn Fellman is an independent multimedia artist focusing on human evolution and genomic science. She works with scientists to communicate their research through art and narrative. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, she is currently an artist and journalist in residence at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). The Bioinformatics Group at the National Marrow Donor Program are conducting a series of studies that combine new data collection methods with genetic ancestry to improve donor patient matches.Director Martin Maiers and Scientist Abeer Madbouly at the Bioinformatics Group commissioned Lynn Fellman to produce a video about this research. The 3-minute video was presented November, 2012, during Dr. Madbouly¿s talk to medical professionals and scientists. It explains that people alive today have unique markers in their genes that reflect ancient migrations and contemporary mixing. In a land of many Multis, like the United States, people with mixed genetic ancestry who need a stem cell transplant have difficulty finding a matching donor. Dr. Madbouly and her colleagues hope to find that more exact genetic data and measurable ethnic information may result in matching more donors with patients for more successful transplant outcomes.