Reading DNA continues to sharpen our view of Jewish history, health, and identity. Join computational geneticist Itsik Pe’er (Columbia University) and moderator Nathan Pearson (rootdeep.com) to explore what our genomes say today...and may reveal in the future.

Itsik Pe’er is an associate professor in Columbia University’s Department of Computer Science and the principal investigator at Columbia’s Lab of Computational Genetics. His laboratory develops and applies computational methods for the analysis of human genetics, particularly in isolated populations, such as Pacific Islanders and Ashkenazi Jews.

Genomicist Nathan Pearson has long explored what DNA reveals about health and history. Teaming with fellow scientists and genome-curious layfolk -- from historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to rocker Ozzy Osbourne and journalist Carl Zimmer -- he works to make inner data personally and scientifically useful. Trained at Stanford and the University of Chicago, Nathan has led science at the whole-genome interpretation company Knome, served as Senior Director of Scientific Engagement and Public Outreach at the New York Genome Center, and, most recently, founded Root to reward blood and marrow donor volunteers with wise, personal, and free insight from their own most vital genes, in memory of his mom (who died at 34 of blood cancer with no marrow donor). He writes at genomena.com and tweets as @GenomeNathan.