Jennifer Raff

Raff was born in Carbondale, Illinois. She moved from Missouri to Indiana when she started high school.{{Cite web|url=http://stemwomenonfire.weebly.com/jennifer-raff.html|title=Jennifer Raff|website=STEM Women on Fire|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}} While she was a child, her mother started a doctoral degree in neuroscience, which inspired Raff to follow a career in scientific research. During her last year of high school, Raff asked a professor in a nearby university if she could join his laboratory and started to work on molecular biology. She received a B.A. in biology and anthropology from Indiana University Bloomington in 2001,{{Cite web|url=https://anthropology.ku.edu/jennifer-raff|title=Jennifer A. Raff|date=2015-08-18|website=Department of Anthropology|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01|archive-date=2019-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203224336/https://anthropology.ku.edu/jennifer-raff|url-status=dead}} after which she worked for a year in a yeast molecular genetics lab. She received a master's degree in anthropology in 2008, and a doctoral degree in genetics and biological anthropology in 2008, also from Indiana University.{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|title=An Ancient DNA Perspective on the Prehistory of the Lower Illinois Valley|first=Jennifer|last=Raff|date=2008|url=https://www.academia.edu/3583726}}

As a postdoctoral scholar, Raff worked with Dennis O’Rourke at the University of Utah,{{Cite journal|last=Guglielmi|first=Giorgia|date=2019-04-16|title=Facing up to injustice in genome science|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=568|issue=7752|pages=290–293|doi=10.1038/d41586-019-01166-x|pmid=30992587|bibcode=2019Natur.568..290G|doi-access=free}} with M. Geoffrey Hayes at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago Illinois, and with Deborah Bolnick at the University of Texas at Austin.{{Cite web|url=https://phys.org/news/2016-01-genetic-ancient-trans-atlantic-migration-professor.html|title=Genetic data does not support ancient trans-Atlantic migration, professor says|website=phys.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-12-03}}

In 2015, Raaff was appointed assistant professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Kansas where she conducts population genetics research on ancient and contemporary North American populations from the North American Arctic, the Midwest, and Texas. Her research involves the analysis of genomes in ancient and contemporary DNA, which she uses to understand the histories of human populations.{{Cite web|url=https://evolution-institute.org/profile/jennifer-raff/|title=Jennifer Raff|website=The Evolution Institute|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-03}} In particular, Raff has focused on the development of new approaches to extract ancient DNA.

In 2019, Raff was awarded a $450,000, three-year National Science Foundation Search Grant to investigate the genetic history of the Aleut people.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1849338&HistoricalAwards=false|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1849338 - The Genetic History of the Aleut People|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2019-12-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/uok-nrw041119.php|title=New research will illuminate history of Aleutian Island peoples by analyzing their genomes|website=EurekAlert!|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}} The project will see Raff investigating genomic information from ancient people for the Aleutian Islands. As of that same year, Raff was recognized as a Docking Faculty Scholar.{{cite journal|url=https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2019/09/SAA-Archaeological-Paper.pdf|title=The Peopling of the Americas at the End of the Pleistocene|publisher=The Society for American Archaeology|journal=The SAA Archaeological Record |volume=19 |issue=3|date=May 2019|page=12|access-date=June 4, 2022}}

Raff teaches courses on Fundamentals of Physical Anthropology, on Human Evolution, and on Critical Analysis of Scientific Literature. She is a faculty member with the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics, a program designed to increase representation of Indigenous peoples in the field of genetics. In 2018, Raff was made Vice President of the American Association of Anthropological Genetics and promoted to president in 2019.{{Cite web|url=http://anthgen.org/officers/|title=Officers|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-02}}

Her first book, Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas, was published in February 2022. The book is a genetic history of humans in North and South America and looks to teach people about the fundamental science of genetics.{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/origin-book-first-americans-genetics-controversy|title='Origin' explores the controversial science of the first Americans|author=Bruce Bower|website=ScienceNews|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=June 4, 2022}} Raff is represented by agents Janklow & Nesbit and publishers Twelve Books.

Raff has written for public audiences on her blog "Violent Metaphors",{{Cite web|url=https://violentmetaphors.com/|title=Violent metaphors|website=Violent metaphors|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}} in the Huffington Post,{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/jennifer-raff|title=Jennifer Raff {{!}} HuffPost|website=www.huffpost.com|access-date=2019-12-01}} for Forbes{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferraff/|title=Jennifer Raff|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}} and for The Guardian.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jennifer-raff|title=Jennifer Raff {{!}} The Guardian|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}} She has written about the importance of vaccination – in particular, her article "Dear parents, you are being lied to" has been translated into several languages,{{Cite web|url=https://violentmetaphors.com/2014/03/25/parents-you-are-being-lied-to/|title=Dear parents, you are being lied to.|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|date=2014-03-26|website=Violent metaphors|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dear-parents-you-are-being-lied-to-about-vaccines_b_5112620|title=Dear Parents, You Are Being Lied To|date=2014-04-08|website=HuffPost|access-date=2019-12-01}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/baby-health/dear-parents-you-are-being-lied-to-about-vaccines-20140411-36h4d|title=Dear parents: you are being lied to about vaccines|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|date=2014-04-11|website=Essential Baby|language=en-au|access-date=2019-12-01}} including German,{{Cite web|url=https://www.stern.de/gesundheit/impfmythen-liebe-eltern--sie-werden-angelogen-3166790.html|title=Liebe Eltern, Sie werden angelogen|date=2014-06-04|website=stern.de|language=de|access-date=2019-12-01}} Italian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pazienti.it/news-di-salute/vaccini-22092014|title=Cari genitori, vi stanno mentendo. {{!}} Pazienti.it|last1=Pazienti.it|last2=Pazienti.it|website=www.pazienti.it|language=it|access-date=2019-12-01}} Norwegian,{{Cite web|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/article/ap-oReqB.html|title=Kjære foreldre. Dere blir løyet til|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|website=Aftenposten|date=4 June 2014 |language=nb-NO|access-date=2019-12-01}} Vietnamese,{{Cite web|url=http://afamily.vn/news-20160423103618527.chn|title=Các bố mẹ ạ, có lẽ chúng ta đã hoàn toàn hiểu sai về vắc-xin và tiêm phòng cho con!|last=VCCorp.vn|date=2016-05-03|website=aFamily|language=vi|access-date=2019-12-01}} Croatian.{{Cite web|url=http://www.znanostblog.com/dragi-roditelji-lazu-vas/|title=Dragi roditelji, lažu vas!|last=Krpan|first=Hrvoje|date=2014-04-10|website=Znanost Blog|language=hr|access-date=2019-12-01}} She has spoken about the dangers of scientific racism and, in particular, Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nicholas-wade-and-race-building-a-scientific-facade_b_5375137|title=Nicholas Wade and Race: Building a Scientific Façade|author=Jennifer Raff, Assistant Professor of Physical Anthropology, University of Kansas, joint PhD in genetics and anthropology|date=2014-05-27|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/social-construct-of-race-imposes-biology/|title=Social Construct of Race Imposes Biology|last=Mirsky|first=Steve|website=Scientific American|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/problematical-theories|title=Problematical theories|last=UCL|date=2019-02-13|website=UCL Division of Biosciences|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}} Raff was included in Angela Saini's Superior: The Return of Race Science.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFuUDwAAQBAJ&q=jennifer+raff+origin+book&pg=PA131|title=Superior: The Return of Race Science|last=Saini|first=Angela|date=2019|publisher=Beacon Press|isbn=978-0-8070-7691-0|pages=131–132|language=en}}

Raff provided testimony to the Texas Board of Education concerning the teaching of evolution in schools.

{{cite web|url=http://www.texednews.com/2013/30/InstructionalMaterialsList.pdf|title=Report of the State Board of Education Committee of the Full Board Public Hearing September 17, 2013!}} She also provided a commentary about the information that could be learned from Elizabeth Warren's DNA test.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferraff/2018/10/15/what-do-elizabeth-warrens-dna-test-results-actually-mean/|title=What Do Elizabeth Warren's DNA Test Results Actually Mean?|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}}

Raff has worked to improve public understanding of the scientific process.{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/05/09/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper-a-guide-for-non-scientists/|title=How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists|last1=May 9th|last2=communication|first2=2016{{!}}Academic|date=2016-05-09|website=Impact of Social Sciences|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-03|last3=writing|first3=Academic|last4=Comments|first4=Resources{{!}}62}} She has appeared on several podcasts, including Science for the People,{{Cite web|url=http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/episodes/troublesome-inheritance|title=#287 - Troublesome Inheritance: Science for the People|website=www.scienceforthepeople.ca|access-date=2019-12-01}} NPR Science Friday,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-do-we-study-ancient-peoples/|title=How Do We Study Ancient Americans?|website=Science Friday|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-02}} Inside Science{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b0lzkm|title=BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science, Antarctic, Kew, Paleogenomics, Sea birds|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-02}} and on the BBC World Service.{{cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/bbc-world-service/bbc-newsday-where-did-native|title=BBC World Service: BBC Newsday - Where did Native Americans come from?}} She was part of The Nature of Things with David Suzuki episode on the Ice bridge.{{Cite web|url=https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/pseudo/92|title=CBC, The Solutrean Hypothesis, and Jennifer Raff - Episode 92 — Pseudo-Archaeology|website=#archpodnet|date=5 February 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-02}} She frequently gives public talks on science literacy issues, and was an invited speaker at Skepticon.

{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BuRECUOsx0|title=The Misuse of Genetics in Pseudoscience|website=YouTube}}

• {{Cite book|title=Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|publisher=Twelve (Grand Central Publishing)|year=2022|isbn= 9781538749715}}
• {{Cite book|title=Handbook on Science Literacy|last=Raff|first=Jennifer|publisher=Kendall Hunt|year=2016|isbn=9781524907358}}
• {{Cite journal|last1=Raff|first1=Jennifer|last2=O'Rourke|first2=Dennis H.|date=2010-02-23|title=The Human Genetic History of the Americas: The Final Frontier|journal=Current Biology|volume=20|issue=4|pages=202–207|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2009.11.051|pmid=20178768|s2cid=14479088|doi-access=free|bibcode=2010CBio...20.R202O }}
• {{Cite journal|last1=Raff|first1=Jennifer|last2=O'Rourke|first2=Dennis H.|date=2010-02-23|title=Ancient DNA perspectives on American colonization and population history|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=146|issue=4|pages=503–514|doi=10.1002/ajpa.21594|pmid=21913177}}

Raff has trained in various martial arts alongside her sister, retired mixed martial artist Julie Kedzie. She holds a third dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do.{{cite web | url=https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Monroe%20County%20Martial%20Arts.%20jennifer%20raff&epa=SEARCH_BOX| title= Monroe County Martial Arts| website= Facebook}} She has also trained in MMA.{{cite web |title=Katalina Malungahu |url=https://www.awakeningfighters.com/athletes/katalina-malungahu/ |website=Awakening |publisher=awakeningfighters.com |access-date=10 December 2019}}{{cite web |title=Jennifer Raff vs. Katalina Muti Malungahu |url=http://nonstopwmma.blogspot.com/2011/01/jennifer-raff-vs-katalina-muti.html |website=Non Stop WMMA |date=14 January 2011 |publisher=nonstopwmma blogs |access-date=10 December 2019}} She reached the semifinals in the Chicago Golden Gloves Women's 156 pound Senior Novice division in 2012, but lost the title bout to Allie Ayers.

{{cite web | url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-12/sports/ct-spt-0413-boxing-golden-gloves-chicago--20120413_1_novice-division-rsc1-pound| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112082632/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-12/sports/ct-spt-0413-boxing-golden-gloves-chicago--20120413_1_novice-division-rsc1-pound| url-status=dead| archive-date=November 12, 2012| title= Chicago Tribune: Action-filled night in Chicago Golden Gloves at Gordon Tech }}{{cite web |last1=McRoberts |first1=Colin |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100300795006191&set=p.10100300795006191&type=1 |title= Colin McRoberts Facebook page |publisher=Facebook |access-date=10 December 2019}}

Raff is married to Kenneth Colin McRoberts, and lives in Lawrence, Kansas. They have one son.{{cite web|url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/general-news/2020/may/17/when-life-returns-to-normal-these-lawrencians-know-just-what-they-want-to-do-first|title=When life returns 'to normal,' these Lawrencians know just what they want to do first|author=Lauren Fox|website=LJWorld.com|publisher=Lawrence Journal World|date=May 17, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2022}}

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Category:1979 births

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