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Although
accumulating population genetic data overwhelmingly supports
the notion that "race" is a biologically meaningless
concept, we have been unable to move beyond racial categorization
in science, medicine and society. Partially responsible for
our continued obsession with race is the fact that, although
we do not have distinct biological types of "races,"
we do have geographical differences in the frequencies of
genetic markers. These differences, no matter how infrequent
they may be in comparison to observed similarities, are sometimes
used to justify the social construct of race.
It is important to point out that geneticists have never found
a genetic marker that is of one type in all the members of
one large group and of a different type in all the members
of another large group. Given this apparent imprecise nature
of our socially defined racial groups, what then is the basis
for some scientists to advocate for the development of drugs
along color lines? This presentation will review current population
genetic and pharmacogenomic data to show the hazards of using
group labels like "African American" or "Hispanics"
in the treatment of individual patients.
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