Cobb Research Lab News

A quarterly newsletter of the W. Montague Cobb Research Laboratory, Howard University

VOL 6 ISSUE 4 Editor At-Large: Nicholas Guthrie Assistant Curator: Carter Clinton SUMMER 2020

Mitigating the effects of the pandemic on the Cobb Research Lab

The Cobb Research Laboratory has been closed since Skeletal samples cannot be loaned out during the pan-
March 2020. The threat of COVID-19 transmission makes it demic and all hands-on studies must be curtailed until
impossible for researchers to continue to conduct hands-on the CRL reopens in 2021. We are sorry for the limited
research in either the dry lab (116 HUIRB) or the molecular research offerings available under these circumstanc-
genetic lab (406 HUIRB). COAS Dean Patterson has in- es but hope that students and faculty will find satisfac-
formed us that the Provost and OCC have not yet opened tion in conducting computational, historical, and non-
HUIRB, so we, along with many others, are trying to find al- anatomical projects on the topic of African American
ternative approaches to remain productive. Since the pan- biohistory.
demic is likely to ontinue for a minimum of another nine
RESEARCH TOPICS AVAILABLE
months, it makes sense to develop alternative plans to main-
tain traditional high level of research productivity. A list of FOR FALL 2020
non-laboratory based projects are provided in this issue of
the CRL News. Interested students and faculty are able to  Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analysis
select among these topics and conduct internet-based re- of African historical and contemporary topography,
search. population demography, and migration patterns.

 Algorithm development for AI simulation of African

biohistory

 Admixture and other ancestry assessments in Afri-

can-descended populations

 The process of African North American microeth-

nic group creation, maintenance, and dissolution.

 Statistical inferences from basic ancestral and clin-

ical survey data

 Contemporary evaluation of historical patterns in

African American health disparities

 Translation of 10,000 African Genomes Project

materials into diverse African languages

 Development of children's stories from the materi-

als of the New York African Burial Ground Project

IN THIS ISSUE …

 BNRD Anti-Racism Action Plan

 Recent Publications from CRL

 Washington DC Bill 23-532 to honor Dr. Cobb

Illustration: EM of SARS  Problems and Solutions in Field Research

-CoV-2 the virus
responsible for COVID-19, currently in
pandemic status on earth. CRL News 6(4): 1
Bioarchaeologists’ Northeast Regional Dialogue THE BIOARCHAEOLOGISTS' NORTHEAST REGIONAL DIA-
(BNRD) Anti-Racism Action Plan LOGUE (BNRD) COMMUNITY WAS FORMED IN 2011 BY
GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY–SUNY,
Black Lives Matter has SARAH LEDOGAR DR. ... THE CONFERENCE IS ANNUAL
AND
had a dramatic effect on
AND OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED IN ATTENDING - FACULTY,
many institutions. Among
the Bioarchaeologists’ GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, AND ANY IN-
Northeast Regional Dia- TERESTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
logue Organizing Commit-
tee there is recognition HU ADMINISTRATION ISSUES
that bioarchaeology has
roots in the wider field of GUIDELINES FOR REOPENING THE
biological anthropology
that has benefitted from,
CAMPUS LABS
and contributed to, the development and sustenance of sys- Based on information provided in the Provost’s meet-
temic racism and inequalities in American society, including ing this week, 3 things need to be met in order for re-
the rise of white supremacy. Indeed, many bioarchaeologists searchers to return to campus:
can trace their “academic lineage” back to Earnest Hooton,
who played a significant role in biologizing race. We also I. Completion of CITI COVID module through CITI
acknowledge that many of the skeletal assemblages used in
this discipline are composed of marginalized peoples, many of II. Completion of COVID training module from the
whom are of Black and/or Native American and Indigenous Health & Safety Institute. It was called “Howard
populations (e.g., de la Cova 2019; Muller et al. 2016). We University: New Training Available”. The sender
firmly believe that Black Lives Matter. For that reason, we join was ‘Health & Safety Institute”,
in the movement to change our field by addressing issues that email [email protected].
may contribute to sustained systemic marginalization of BI-
POC scholars and communities. We pledge to take both insti- III. Documentation of negative COVID-19 test result
tutional and individual responsibility to dismantle the systemic before return to campus. This can be completed
practices that have upheld the status quo in race inequalities. locally, or through the services which will be pro-
We recognize that this lineage has centered whiteness, and vided by HU within the coming weeks.
we now seek to de-center that whiteness. As such, the BNRD
In addition, at the Provost’s meeting, Dr. Dubroy and
Organizing Committee offers these actionable pledges moving
forward, and we want to be held accountable for these actions Dr. Wutoh reminded us that the District is still operat-
(see the panel discussion “Archaeology in the Times of Black ing under Phase 2 reopening plan, meaning buildings
Lives Matter” presented by TAG North America, The Society of need to operate at 25% design capacity. The fall se-
Black Archaeologists, and the Columbia Center for Archaeolo- mester reopening will require a distinct plan of action
gy for an in-depth discussion about what our community can that will make research at the CRL very different than
and should be doing right now): ● In lieu of our on-the-ground it has been in the past. Most of the undergraduate re-
conference for 2020, we will develop a reading list and list of search will be computational-based: either the exami-
links on our website that contribute to an anti-racist and decol- nation of already collected data or the library-based
onized bioarchaeology. This will include Tisa Loewen’s
investigations of more generic topics. The CRL Execu-
spreadsheet of publications by Black biological anthropolo-
tive Committee will identify a set of research topics
gists, Michelle Rodrigues’s decolonizing primatology reading
list, and April Beisaw’s Archaeology of Racism Bibliography. that HU undergraduates may want to pursue under the
The materials and lists that we develop will be made available sponsorship of the CRL during this pandemic. ****
to all members. ● We recognize that one of the major ways
that we combat racism is by teaching what race is (and is not)
CRL to relocate to a Renovated
in the classroom in our home institutions. Specifically, we Douglass Hall in the future
acknowledge the fact that simply stating that “race is not a ge-
netic reality” does not go far enough, as racism has significant The Cobb Research Laboratory’s days at HUIRB are
biological consequences. We will compile resources on our numbered. After several meetings with the architects
website which, following the work of Gravlee (2009), Watkins redesigning Douglass Hall, designs have been devel-
(2020), and Lans (2018), speak to the embodied nature of oped that optimize the space available for the CRL.
structural inequality associated with the social reality of race. Once their renovations are approved, the Cobb Re-
This website component will also include readings and other search Laboratory will be relocated back to Douglass
resources on implicit bias and white privilege to encourage Hall, where Dr. Michael Blakey, the lab’s director in the
community intervention and allow individual self-reflection. ●
1980s and 1990’s first brought the Cobb Collection from
We encourage each member to examine their syllabi for bias
the basement of the Department of Anatomy. ****
in author representation and to #citeblackwomen ****

CRL News 6(4) 2

 BOOKOO PUBLICATIONS FROM CRL RESEARCHERS

Carter Clinton has second publication in Dr. Fatimah Jackson explores the
American Journal of Physical Anthropology strong genetic links of African North
Ph.D. candidate Carter Clinton and his mentor Dr. Fatimah Americans to Nigerians in letter to
Jackson have just been notified that another research publica- American Journal of Human Genetics
tion from Carter’s work on the New York African Burial Ground
(NYABG) has been accepted in the American Journal of Physi- In response to a recent article on African American
cal Anthropology, the top journal in biological anthropology. genetic diversity published in the American Journal of
The paper uniquely looks at the bioethics of research on this Human Genetics, Dr. Fatimah Jackson took the initia-
famous skeletal population and is entitled “ Historical overview, tive to correct some of the misconceptions and histori-
current research, and emerging bioethical guidelines in re- cal omissions. The authors had questioned why there
searching the New York African Burial Ground”. Studying the was such a strong genetic affinity of most African
remains of enslaved Africans is critical to understanding the North Americans to Nigerians. Dr. Jackson provided
biological processes and existence of all people. Researching unique insights that will spur future discussions and
the NYABG site, the oldest and largest burial site of free and additional research projects on the topic.: Her paper is
enslaved Africans, illuminates the necessity and significance of titled: So Many Nigerians! Why is Nigeria overrepre-
scientific research on other historical African/ African American sented in the genomes of African North Americans?
cemeteries throughout the nation. The results of future re- The genetics of African North Americans are complex
search will provide a more profound sense of identity for a amalgamations of various West and Central African
group of people who were forcefully severed from their genetic peoples with modest gene flow from specific Europe-
and cultural origins. This research will increase the representa- an and Native American peoples. A comprehensive
tion of African descended people in genomic, anthropological, understanding of African North American biohistory is
and cultural research, and ultimately help researchers to learn a prerequisite for accurate interpretations of the an-
more about the origins of all humans. The paper makes a sig- cestral genetics of this population. Too often, genetic
nificant philosophical and theoretical contribution to scientific interpretations falter with ahistorical reconstructions.
studies of historic populations, providing insights and guide- The recently reported overrepresentation of Nigerian
lines for the future. **** lineages in African North Americans reflects pro-
nounced limitations in the African genomic database,
Jennifer Caldwell submits first paper for pub- the artificiality of the colonial maps of Africa, the con-
lication in Evolutionary Anthropology tributions of multiple African empires and kingdoms
into the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, and
Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Caldwell and her mentor Dr. Fatimah
the overrepresentation of Yoruba peoples in the exist-
Jackson submitted an issues paper entitled Evolutionary per-
spectives on African North American genetic diversity: origins ing limited genomic databases, . ****
and prospects for future investigations to the well-respected
journal Evolutionary Anthropology. Nicholas Guthrie and team publish on
African-descended peoples of the Americas represent complex Rib Notching in the Cobb Collection in
mixtures of West, Central, and Southeast African regional and Advances in Clinical and Medical Re-
ethnic groups with modest additional genes from specific non-
African populations. Despite over 16 generations of residence search
in the Americas, there is a deficit of evolutionary knowledge
about these populations. Focusing on Legacy African Ameri- In an article entitled Presence of Rib Notching as an
can, the African North American descendants of survivors of Indicator of Hypertension and its Sequelae in Cardio-
the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, we report on emic vascular Diseases in an Historic African American
evolutionary perspectives of their self-identity gleaned from our Skeletal Population, Nicholas Guthrie, Gabrielle Da-
interviews of 600 individuals collected over two years. Gullah-
vis, Shihyun Kim, Kesley Green, Isaac Opoku-Asare,
Geechee peoples of Carolina Coastal regions are a model case
study due to their historical antiquity, substantial African reten- and Fatimah Jackson worked together to evaluate rib
tions, relative geospatial isolation, and proposed progenitor notching as a sign of past hypertension in the individ-
status to other Legacy African American microethnic groups. uals of the Cobb Collection. This multi-year research
We identify salient research questions for future studies that will project involved many undergraduates, graduates,
begin to bridge the evolutionary gaps in our knowledge of these
faculty members, and external collaborators. The
diverse peoples and the historical evidence for specific evolu-
tionary processes.**** team was lead by Nicholas Guthrie, HU medical
Guthrie (continued on next page) CRL News 6(4): 3
 MO’ BOOKOO PUBLICATIONS FROM CRL
Guthrie, continued from previous page Drs. Latifa Jackson and Heriberto
student, CRL Clinical Research Coordinator, and Editor at Acosta Maestre publish on Big Data
Large of the CRL News. mentoring in ASM
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in
CRL researcher Latifa Jackson and colleagues
the United States and around the world. A plethora of scientific
Heriberto Maestre recently published an important
findings identify African Americans as having the highest rates
article entitled “ The Data Science Fire Next Time:
of CVD in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups in the United
Innovative strategies for mentoring in data science .”
Sates. Associated with a wide range of congenital and chronic
cardiac disorders, rib notching is a pathognomonic diagnostic As data mining research and applications continue
marker used in today’s medical practice. Unfortunately, rib to expand in to a variety of fields such as medicine,
notching has not been studied in human skeletal collections, finance, security, etc., the need for talented and di-
particularly in a collection of historic African Americans. Their verse individuals is clearly felt. This is particularly the
study presents a unique opportunity to evaluate rib notching in case as Big Data initiatives have taken off in the fed-
the Cobb Collection, a well-known collection of 987 de-fleshed eral, private and academic sectors, providing a
human cadavers donated for research purposes between 1932 wealth of opportunities, nationally and international-
and 1969 to Howard University. ly. The Broadening Participation in Data Mining
(BPDM) workshop was created more than 7 years
A sample of 219 CC individuals (CCIs) were selected from our
digitized records and examined for evidence of notching of their ago with the goal of fostering mentorship, guidance,
ribs. Due to incomplete and broken ribs in the collection, ribs and connections for minority and underrepresented
were assembled according to size with the smallest ribs in an groups in the data science and machine learning
individual given a designation of ‘1’. Those individuals who community, while also enriching technical aptitude
clearly had rib notching were photographed and examined to and exposure for a group of talented students. To
determine the number of rib notches, if the notches were bilat- date it has impacted the lives of more than 330 un-
eral or unilateral, as well as the location of the rib notches. derrepresented trainees in data science. They pro-
Careful attention was made to ensure that man-made notches vide a venue to connect talented students with inno-
were not included in the data. vative researchers in industry, academia, profession-
From the 53 individuals that were identified as having rib notch- al societies, and government. Our mission is to facili-
ing, 44 of them were due to cardiovascular ailments while the tate meaningful, lasting relationships between BPDM
others were due to pathologies that could potentially lead to participants to ultimately increase diversity in data
hypertension if left untreated. Males were more likely to have rib mining. This most recent workshop took place at
notching when compared to their female counterparts. Howard University in Washington, DC in February
2019. Here they report on the mentoring strategies
From the results of this study, a strong link is observed between
that they undertook at the 2019 BPDM and how
CVD and rib notching. This makes rib notching assessment a
those were received ****
useful diagnostic tool for historical skeletal samples or for con-
firming previous diagnoses of CVD. This study also provides a
major improvement to our understanding of CVD in historical Do African North Americans have
African American populations. The historical context of diseas- Amerindian Ancestry?
es now rampant in the African American community can inform
clinicians in their efforts to develop precision interventions de- Dr. Fatimah Jackson has just published an article on
signed to treat CVD in this vulnerable population. **** Amerindian North American genetics accepted in the
Journal of Genetics and Cell Biology. In a brief but
poignant article entitled “What is wrong with African
North American admixture studies?” Addressing the false paucity of Amerindian admixture in African North American
genetic lineages Dr. Jackson took on the common misconception that Amerindian North Americans had no meaningful
genetic interactions with African North Americans. While it is recognized that African North Americans primarily repre-
sent an aggregate of African lineages primarily from West, Central, and Southeast Africa coupled with modest gene flow
from specific non-Africans: North Atlantic and Iberian European lineages and geospatially dictated Amerindian North
American lineages, little research has gone into discerning the Amerindian components of African North American ge-
netics because the historically appropriate reference database is lacking. This paper reviews the relevant Amerindian
populations for this database and discusses the continuing incongruence between the consciousness of Amerindian an-
cestry among African North Americans and the current genetic admixture results. ****
CRL News 6(4) 4
Please support BILL 23-532 . The stated purpose of Bill 23-532 is to symbolical-
ly designate the 600 block of W Street, N.W. as Dr. Montague Cobb Way.

For streets and alleys, a

symbolic naming is for
ceremonial purposes and shall
be in addition to and
subordinate to any name that is
an official name; an official
designation typically involves
the designation of postal
addresses and enables the
placement of the primary
entrance to residences or
offices on the street or alley.
Public spaces other than a
street or alley, such as parks or
buildings, may also be
symbolically or officially
named. Those who wish to
testify are asked to email the
Committee of the Whole at
[email protected], or call
Evan Cash, Committee and
Legislative Director, at (202)
724-7002, and to provide your
name, address, telephone
number, organizational
affiliation and title (if any) by
close of business Friday,
September 11, 2020.
Witnesses who anticipate
needing spoken language
interpretation, or require sign
language interpretation, are
requested to inform the
Committee office of the need
as soon as possible but no
later than five business days
before the proceeding. We will
make every effort to fulfill timely requests, although alternatives may be offered. Requests received in less than five
business days may not be fulfilled. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to email their written
testimony to [email protected]. If submitted by the close of business on September 11, 2020 the testimony will be
distributed to Councilmembers before the hearing. Witnesses should limit their testimony to three minutes; less time will
be allowed if there are a large number of witnesses. The hearing will be limited to three hours. Copies of the legislation
can be obtained through the Legislative Services Division of the Secretary of the Council’s office or on http://
lims.dccouncil.us. Hearing materials, including a draft witness list, can be accessed at http://
www.chairmanmendelson.com/circulation, 24 hours in advance of the hearing. If you are unable to testify at the hearing,
written statements are encouraged and will be made part of the official record. Written statements should be submitted to
the Committee of the Whole, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite. 410 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on September 29, 2020. ****

CRL News 6(4): 5

What to do when you encounter problems conducting field research?
Consult the Decision Tree!

Field work, unlike laboratory-based work is fraught with variability in your research results. In the field, you are
unexpected events. Your connecting flights may be de- happy to be able to explain 25% of the variability in your
layed, you may be robbed of your samples by irate cus- research results. Experienced field researchers under-
toms officials, your community contacts may die, you may stand this important difference and take it into considera-
be faced with a pandemic! Fieldwork is logistically chal- tion in evaluating your research efforts in the field..
lenging. First, it is expensive to work in the field — it costs
So where does the decision tree come into play? Since it
money.— unexpected amounts of money. The more hu-
is almost inevitable that you will run into some unexpected
man interactions you require, the more expensive your
problems in the field, it help to have a pre-set decision tree
work can be because each of those human contacts need
to consult for advice on how to proceed. If the unexpected
to be coaxed into cooperating with your project. In the field,
event involves your research or a research-related event,
you may find yourself facing unexpected challenges with-
this decision tree is for you. First, is the event worth re-
out anyone to turn to. Many people have very limited expe-
porting to your mentor and the Institutional Review Board?
rience doing field science research and cannot fully advise
For the sake of discussion, let’s say, yes. Then the ques-
you .So, a large part of field work involves innovation.
tion is if the unexpected event is an Adverse Event? What
Fieldwork also poses safety issues and the behavior con-
is an Adverse Event, you ask? Well, it is an event that is
cerns are different from those in the laboratory. In fact,
serious, related to your research, and unexpected. It may
fieldwork is so different that we use a different level of sta-
cause risk to research participants or result in their injury
tistical significance to describe adequate field results — In
or death. Depending upon the seriousness of the Adverse
the laboratory you want to be able to control 98% of your
Decision Tree (continued on next page)
CRL News 6(4): 6
Decision Tree (continued from previous page) Recent Funding Successes!
Event, you may have to terminate your field research completely, Over the summer, the CRL has received funding
for example, if there is a violent military coup in the country you from CZI and from the National Park Service. The
are working in or if the species you are studying develops Ebola. CZI funding is from The Chan Zuckerberg Initia-
Remember, the event should be related to the completion of your tive, a philanthropy established and owned by Fa-
research aims and objectives. You should always maintain good cebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife
and regular communication with your mentor so that they can Priscilla Chan. Their mission is to find new ways to
help resolve any unexpected event in the field setting. Of course, leverage technology, community-driven solutions,
as a field researcher, you also have responsibilities to the local and collaboration to accelerate progress in educa-
authorities. When unexpected events occur, make sure that the tion, justice and opportunity, and science. CRL
local authorities are aware and have given their input to help received funding in support of student engagement
solve your dilemma . Once you return back to your home cam- in our laboratory-based research project with the
pus, you will need to make sure that you report anything that had petrous bone extractions. The National Park Ser-
altered your previously approved research protocol. vice has also recently sent funding to the CRL in
Fieldwork is a valuable and essential part of the research en- recognition of our ongoing studies with the Back-
deavor. Know when you begin this that, more often than not, bones to Life research project. Both CZI and Na-
problems will emerge. The challenge is how you respond to these tional Park Service funds are dedicated to publica-
challenges. The decision tree can provide important guidance. tion support of our research efforts. We are grate-
**** ful for this support. ****

Reflections from Undergraduate Research Assistant Daria

Coffield on her interactions in the Cobb Research Labora-
tory
As a recent graduate of Howard University, one of my most shining accom-
plishments was the completion of my honors thesis entitled "US ethnic differ-
ences in cancer in five major tissue/organ locations: will molecular genetics
reaffirm observed epidemiological disparities?". Working under the guidance
of Dr. Fatimah Jackson and HU Chief Resident Dr. Navid Alavi, I used per-
spectives from clinical biology, epidemiology, and molecular biology to in-
vestigate the relationship between ethnic disparities and molecularly distinct
cancer types. Upon completing my thesis in April, I was able to successfully
graduate from the honors biology program. Since graduating, I have contin-
ued working closely with Dr. Jackson to prepare my thesis for publication.
The editing process has allowed me to take a look at my research from a
different perspective, thinking critically about my methods and the contexts
of my findings. It has been an exciting opportunity and as we move closer
towards submitting for publication, I am happy to add to existing literature on
ethnic cancer disparities. ****

CRL Researchers have 3 more research papers currently

under peer review
We hope to learn the status of 3 more research papers from the
CRL:
1. Last summer’s research methods work on the Petrous Bone and
facial reconstructions
2. The interrelationships of genetics and history in African Studies
3. Persistence of health disparities in the molecular biology of can-
cer at 5 sites.****
Recent photo of Ms. Daria Coffield

CRL News 6(4): 7