Human Genetics in Latin America

Human Genetics in Latin America is the first volume of a trilogy developed by the Latin American Network of Human Genetics (RELAGH) and the Latin American Academy of Sciences (ACAL) that addresses a major gap in global genomics. The book explores why studying genetic diseases in Latin American populations is both scientifically and medically essential, highlighting the region’s extraordinary genetic diversity shaped by centuries of admixture among Indigenous, European, African, and Asian populations. Through contributions from leading researchers and clinicians, this volume examines population structure, founder effects, rare disorders, and complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. It demonstrates how ancestry and admixture influence disease risk, clinical presentation, and treatment response. By placing Latin America at the center of genetic research, the book offers a timely framework for understanding human disease from a regional perspective with global relevance and for advancing more inclusive, equitable, and effective genomics and precision medicine worldwide.