Julie Beans and Aliassa Shane, researchers with Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska, and GEN Staff Justin Lund discuss partnership opportunities during a visit to Anchorage.
GEN Student Training Program
The Genomics & Ethics Program for Native Students (GEN) provides Indigenous-based, mentor-linked learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in ethical, legal and social questions related to genetics research in Native communities.
Addressing A Need
- American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people continue to be underrepresented in all aspects of STEM training and research, including genomics and related fields.
- A primary outcome for the GEN program is the recruitment and retention of Native student researchers in fields related to genomics and society.
- The GEN program is committed to working with Tribal partners and Native-serving organizations to grow the field of genomics in ways that reflect the interests and concerns of Indigenous communities.
Learning Community
The Genomics & Ethics Program for Native Students (GEN) is committed to building a learning community that fosters supportive learning environments, sustainable networks, and professional Indigenous networks for students to pursue training opportunities and research experiences.
Collaboration
Students participating in the GEN program can expect to connect with a talented and expansive network of Indigenous researchers, community leaders and Native-serving organizations from across the country shaping the fields of genomics and health in ways that promote Indigenous perspectives and experiences. Students receive first hand mentorship and opportunities to collaborate with some of the most influential leaders in the field today.
Indigenous Approaches
The GEN program strives to provide students with opportunities to participate in community-centered activities that are grounded in Indigenous experiences, which is why every activity offered as part of the GEN program is a collaborative effort between personnel at our Center and an incredible network of Indigenous professionals, Native-serving programs across the country, Tribal stakeholders and community members, and fellow cohort members.
GEN staff Justin Lund and Jessica Blanchard, accompanied by Yarrow Vaara, attend the SING workshop at the Carl. R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky.
To learn more about the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING), please visit their site.
