Environmental & Evolutionary Health Fall 2023 George M. Diggs, Jr. Department of Biology and Center for Environmental Studies Austin College, Sherman, Texas & Research Associate, Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT)

To Contact Dr. Diggs:

Austin College Phone: (903) 813-2246, Cell Phone (903) 821-4084
Office: IDEA Center 261
Mailing Address: Department of Biology, Austin College, Sherman, TX 75090
AC Suite 61564
e-mail: gdiggs@austincollege.edu
Home page: http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/diggs.html
Office Hours: Via Zoom, by appointment.

Environmental and Evolutionary Health -- Course Synopsis

The course is an introduction to major concepts in environmental and evolutionary health. It will examine ways of preventing human illness and injury and promoting well-being by examining hazardous and otherwise problematic agents in the modern environment and by exploring the mismatch of many aspects of the modern environment with the evolutionary heritage of our species. Humans evolved under very different conditions than those faced by people living today. The modern environment includes unlimited quantities of industrially prepared foods, exposure to toxins and pollution, radically different lifestyles, and high levels of chronic stress. As a result of these and a variety of other changes, many diseases and health problems are dramatically more common now than in our hunter-gatherer ancestors.  Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, near-sightedness, asthma, and allergies are just a few examples of these “Diseases of Civilization.”  We will focus on how the modern environment is affecting us and and consider how we can match our modern lifestyle more closely with our “hunter-gatherer genes.”

For further information about this course, please contact:

Dr. George Diggs, Professor Department of Biology Austin College 900 N. Grand Ave. Sherman, TX 75090 903-813-2246 Fax: 903-813-3199 gdiggs@austincollege.edu

All text and images on this page copyright 2023, George M. Diggs, Jr.