Out of Africa: Human Migration, Glaucoma Genes, and Unusual Paths to a Cure

Dr. Rand Allingham has dedicated his career to understanding the genetic source of glaucoma. It's a road that has taken him all over the world, including multiple African countries, Iceland, the Philippines, and the US. Samples from more than 9,000 individuals worldwide are included in the Duke Glaucoma Genetics Project, which he leads. He discusses his work in this interview from the 2017 American Glaucoma Society meeting, where he presented the Clinician-Scientist Lecture. Dr. Allingham and his colleagues are conducting the first genome-wide analysis of primary open-angle glaucoma in African populations and their diaspora, including African Americans. His studies include the analysis of the effect of human migration on glaucoma-associated genetic variants in African and non-African populations.