Despite the vast diversity of its populations, genetic studies in Africa have been limited. African populations, Malians in particular, have a high rate of intra-ethnic and consanguineous marriage, resulting in increased prevalence of autosomal recessive diseases. Family-based genetic studies can be limited in developed countries due to small sib ships. The average fertility rate in Mali is over 6 births per woman, offering a unique opportunity to find new disease genes or mutations that can then be studied in other populations.

Assignment of individuals to categories of race, ethnicity and ancestry impacts health and public policy, yet the practice remains both scientifically and culturally controversial. The established means of determining race and ethnicity, as commonly used for census and health questionnaires, is self-identification. However data is accumulating from social science research showing that an individual's reported ancestry is dependent on social and cultural context. At the same time, modern genetic studies have identified robust markers of ancestry.

This project will analyze how US white nationalists are appropriating, adapting, politically mobilizing and changing themselves in response to contemporary genomics research. White nationalists have gained public prominence since 2015 trying to bring greater visibility to their movement and policy ideas. Ideas from genetics have been prominent in their public pronouncements and in online discussions among white nationalists.