Dr. María Ávila-Arcos is Assistant Professor at the International Laboratory for Human Genome Research at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.  María earned a PhD in paleogenomics from the University of Copenhagen and trained as a post-doctoral fellow in population genomics and global health at Stanford University.  María's previous work included the characterization of ancient genomes with an emphasis on the New World using emerging sequencing technologies and statistical methods.  María is currently PI of the Afro-Mexico Genomics Project, a project that aims to characterize the contribution of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade to admixture observed in present-day Mexico.  As part of this project, she and her research team have developed culturally-sensitive informed consent protocols and approaches to returning genetic ancestry results to participants.  The Ávila-Arcos lab also has projects related to Prehispanic Mexico and Colonialism's impact on genetic diversity over time with possible implications for contemporary disease risk and precision medicine opportunities in populations traditionally underrepresented in genomics.