Charmaine D. Royal, Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies
Charmaine Royal is the Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke University. She directs the Duke Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference and the Duke Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation.
Dr. Royal’s research, scholarship, and teaching focus on ethical, social, scientific, and clinical implications of human genetics and genomics, with an emphasis on issues at the intersection of genetics and race. Her interests and primary areas of work include genetics and genomics in African and African Diaspora populations; sickle cell disease and trait; public and professional perspectives and practices regarding race, ethnicity, and ancestry; genetic ancestry inference; and genotype-environment interplay. A fundamental aim of her work is to dismantle ideologies and systems of racial hierarchy in science, healthcare, and society. She serves on numerous national and international advisory boards and committees for government agencies, professional organizations, research initiatives, not-for-profit entities, and corporations.
Dr. Royal obtained a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, master’s degree in genetic counseling, and doctorate in human genetics from Howard University. She completed postgraduate training in ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) research and bioethics at the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and in epidemiology and behavioral medicine at Howard University Cancer Center.
Education:
Ph.D., Howard University, 1997
M.S., Howard University, 1992
B.S., Microbiology,, Howard University, 1988
Office Location: 234 Friedl Bldg, Box 90252, Durham, NC 27708-0141
Office Phone: +1 919 668 6515
Email Address: charmaine.royal@duke.edu
Web Page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSys04YtPEc&list=PLgBIp6MpvvCNr6moOHOuN54db_xB3kV_5&index=3
- Office Hours:
- By appointment
Specialties:
Diaspora Studies
Cultural Studies
Research Categories: Conceptualization and use of race in science and medicine, Genetic and genomic ancestry inference, Involvement of diverse populations in genetics and genomics, Interplay of biological and non-biological factors in health, Global health, African Diaspora
Research Description: My research, scholarship, and teaching focus on ethical, psychosocial, and societal issues in genetics and genomics, particularly intersections with constructs of race, ethnicity, and ancestry. Through my work I seek to: 1) foster ethical conduct in science, medicine, and society with regard to the use of these constructs and the application of genetic and genomic technologies that infer them; 2) advance holistic approaches to understanding disease and promoting optimal health and overall well-being for individuals and populations; and 3) develop a model of interdisciplinary work that can serve as a template or example for others who wish to do similar work. My current empirical research includes studies on: race, genetics, and genetic ancestry testing in the US; the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sickle cell trait testing; sickle cell disease in the US, Cameroon, South Africa, and Jamaica; and BiDil - the first and only drug approved by the FDA to treat a specific 'racial' group.
Recent Publications (More Publications) (search)
- Bulgin, D; Asnani, M; Vorderstrasse, A; Royal, C; Pan, W; Tanabe, P, Stigma and quality of life in adults with sickle cell disease in Jamaica and the United States., Psychology, health & medicine, vol. 28 no. 5 (June, 2023), pp. 1133-1147 [doi] [abs].
- Wagner, JK; Yu, J-H; Fullwiley, D; Moore, C; Wilson, JF; Bamshad, MJ; Royal, CD; Genetic Ancestry Inference Roundtable Participants, , Guidelines for genetic ancestry inference created through roundtable discussions., HGG advances, vol. 4 no. 2 (April, 2023), pp. 100178 [doi] [abs].
- Royal, CDM, Science, Society, and Dismantling Racism., Health equity, vol. 7 no. 1 (January, 2023), pp. 38-44 [doi] [abs].
- Callier, SL; Payne, PW; Akinniyi, D; McPartland, K; Richardson, TL; Rothstein, MA; Royal, CDM, Cardiologists' Perspectives on BiDil and the Use of Race in Drug Prescribing., Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, vol. 9 no. 6 (December, 2022), pp. 2146-2156 [doi] [abs].
- Sodeke, S; Fletcher, FE; Brown, VA; Stone, JR; Wilson, CB; Franklin, TH; Royal, CDM; Bonham, VL, Herstory as an Important Force in Bioethics., The Hastings Center report, vol. 52 Suppl 1 (March, 2022), pp. S83-S88 [doi] [abs].