Sharing The Genome Adventures Project

I have copied and pasted a post I wrote for my job. I will be managing our Genome Adventures blog-site. Be sure to check out the link every now and then to stay updated and informed. I am working as a project assistant and creative writer. In a nutshell, we are working on a comic book series that address a health issue through cartooning. The main character is a 13 year old boy who is HIV positive and Baylor Clinic is inviting him to participate in a research study. Through research, doctors will be able to look at his genes, compare them to other studies and hopefully be closer to finding a cure for HIV/AIDS. One of the characters is a San man also known by some as "Bush man". He is acknowledge in this comic book as being a hero and also for his people's genetic makeup. It is said that human beings descended from them, the San people. And since the San people are found here in Botswana in the Kalahari, there was a need to mention them in the comic book series. As I learn more and write more, you will be kept informed.

10 February 2015 Community Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting
The Collaborative African Genomics Network (CAfGEN) Community Advisory Board (CAB) consists of  ethical review bodies;  religious/faith-based organizations; human rights organizations; a child rights organization; a media organization; a women's rights organization; a traditional body (House of Chiefs); youth members and 2 organizations for people living with HIV/AIDS. Collectively, this diverse group of members make our efforts more collaborative and enriching. We can benefit from each others professional experiences, resources, and general support. 
Our monthly meeting with the CAB took place yesterday at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence. Present at this meeting were NGO stakeholders, researchers, and the Genome Adventures Team. At this meeting, we were able to update the board on our progress with our most current project, Genome Adventures. There was discussion about the graphic design, cartooning, scripting and character bibles. The graphic designs and cartooning depicted the Genome Adventures logo and characters from our comic book series. We received some very helpful feedback, as our community advisory board has much to contribute to the project's development process. One particular suggestion was from an NGO leader about the representation of femininity in superhero form. She brought to our attention the need to be sensitive to gender bias and that a woman need not be "masculine" or "muscular" in order to be a superhero. We humbly received her insight, taking note of how we initially chose to present that particular character.  
When discussing the character bibles and script for books 1-4, the board was very pleased. They asked several questions about the relevance of certain scenes and the significance of the information presented. Edward Pettitt, Project Coordinator for CAfGEN and Genome Adventures explained each scene's significance as it related to scientific knowledge. He elaborated on DNA sequencing, CCR5 deletions, Mendel's Law of Inheritance, Watson and Cricks discovery of the double helix and Rosalind's contributions to the discovery. 
Overall, the creative process has been progressive and fruitful in many respects. The board was pleased with our work thus far, praising us for our inclusion of cultural norms and values. To us, the Genome Adventures Team, it is very important to reference Botswana culture as an Afrocentric approach is unique and serves the community as a whole. The key phrase is cultural relevancy. 
At our next meeting, which will take place in March, we will be providing updates about comic book 1--The History of Heredity.