Many genetic association studies use ancestry estimation in order to identify genetic contributions to disease while mitigating the confounding effects of social stratification by race or ethnicity. Yet this practice may bring up new uncertainties for communities whose social identities depend upon an understanding of shared ancestry that may be challenged by genetic testing. Interdisciplinary perspectives on the use of genetic ancestry estimation in research must balance concerns about the entrenchment of ideas about race as a biological category with a commitment to addressing health disparities that are caused more by social differences than genetic ones [B-6].
