CBC | Nunavik Inuit genetically unique among present-day world populations, study finds
Researchers have found that Inuit from northern Quebec are genetically distinct from any present-day population in the world, and say studying the genes of minority Indigenous populations in Canada can help deliver better health care to these populations.
In a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers mapped the complete genetic profile of Inuit in the Nunavik region — what they claim is a first. Researchers then homed in to study the effects these genetic variants may have on disorders like brain aneurysms.
"There's a lot to learn from genomes of smaller populations that are understudied," said Patrick Dion, assistant professor at McGill University, one of the study's authors alongside primary author Sirui Zhou of the Montreal Neurological Institute.
