hosted by: Art of
description: In this science outreach series, scientists present different scientific topics to the general public in a laid-back atmosphere in an art gallery. The October 2025 event: Why Do Relatives Resemble Each Other? Untangling Genes and Environment in Complex Traits Presented by Ms. Marida Ianni-Ravn University of Chicago Art in the gallery introduced by Fran Lightbound School of the Art Institute of Chicago PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM. Exciting science, art and socializing. Donation bar. Vegan snacks. Events are always free and open to all. Parlour and Ramp Gallery, 2130 W. 21st St. Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/817165270818602/ You are invited to join the Art of Science group and be invited to future events. https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why Do Relatives Resemble Each Other? Untangling Genes and Environment in Complex Traits Many human traits—from height to disease risk to food preference—are influenced by both, genetic variation and the environments we live in. Understanding both is important: genes can reveal the biology underlying traits and can guide treatments, while environments might shape risks in ways we can intervene on. The challenge in distinguishing genetic and environmental effects is that relatives share not only DNA, but also environments such as household, culture, and socioeconomic background. Marida Ianni-Ravn will explore in this presentation how genetic and environmental influences become entangled, how researchers work to distinguish them, and why this matters for understanding human health and disease. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Marida Ianni-Ravn is a fourth year PhD student in Human Genetics at the University of Chicago, where she studies how genes and shared environments shape human traits. She previously earned a master’s degree in Bioinformatics at the University of Copenhagen and an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
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