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Charmaine DM Royal

Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies
African & African American Studies
Duke Box 90252, Durham, NC 27708
234 Friedl Bldg, Box 90252, Durham, NC 27708-0141
Office hours By appointment  

Overview


Charmaine Royal is the Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke University. She directs the Duke Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference and the Duke Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation.

Dr. Royal’s research, scholarship, and teaching focus on ethical, social, scientific, and clinical implications of human genetics and genomics, with an emphasis on issues at the intersection of genetics and race. Her interests and primary areas of work include genetics and genomics in African and African Diaspora populations; sickle cell disease and trait; public and professional perspectives and practices regarding race, ethnicity, and ancestry; genetic ancestry inference; and genotype-environment interplay. A fundamental aim of her work is to dismantle ideologies and systems of racial hierarchy in science, healthcare, and society. She serves on numerous national and international advisory boards and committees for government agencies, professional organizations, research initiatives, not-for-profit entities, and corporations.

Dr. Royal obtained a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, master’s degree in genetic counseling, and doctorate in human genetics from Howard University. She completed postgraduate training in ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) research and bioethics at the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and in epidemiology and behavioral medicine at Howard University Cancer Center.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies · 2021 - Present African & African American Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of African & African American Studies · 2020 - Present African & African American Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Director of the Duke Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) · 2022 - Present Social Science Research Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Director of the Duke Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference (GRID) · 2022 - Present Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference, Social Science Research Institute
Professor of Biology · 2020 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Research Professor of Global Health · 2020 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health · 2020 - Present Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2017 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published August 5, 2024
Search Committee Named for Next Social Science Research Institute Director
Published May 17, 2024
Charmaine Royal on the Intersection of Genetics and Race
Published December 12, 2022
Seeking ‘The Solidarity Dividend’ of Racial Healing

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Recent Publications


Genomics and Health Data Governance in Africa: Democratize the Use of Big Data and Popularize Public Engagement.

Journal Article The Hastings Center report · December 2024 Effectively addressing ethical issues in precision medicine research in Africa requires a holistic social contract that integrates biomedical knowledge with local cultural values and Indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing on African epistemologies such as u ... Full text Cite

A CAMPUS NARRATIVE OF A RESEARCH-INFORMED VISIONING PROCESS

Chapter · January 1, 2024 The vision, mission, and goals of the Duke Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (Duke TRHT Center) align with those of Duke University and are guided by the framework and principles of the national TRHT Movement. As an institution, Duke contin ... Full text Cite

Stigma and quality of life in adults with sickle cell disease in Jamaica and the United States.

Journal Article Psychology, health & medicine · June 2023 Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in both Jamaica and the United States and is characterized by poor quality of life and debilitating complications, with the hallmark symptom being pain caused by acute and chronic condit ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Tom Russell Charitable Foundation

Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Tom Russell Charitable Foundation · 2020 - 2025

Implementation and Implications of Sickle Cell Trait Screening in the NCAA

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2025

U.S. PUBLIC PERSPECTIVES ON RACE AND GENETICS

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Burroughs Wellcome Fund · 2021 - 2023

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Education, Training & Certifications


Howard University · 1997 Ph.D.
Howard University · 1992 M.S.