‘God Gene’ author to lecture March 7 at Cornell

MOUNT VERNON — The author of “The God Gene,” a provocative book that argues religious belief is a product of DNA, will lecture at Cornell College on Wednesday, March 7, at 11 a.m. in Hedges Conference Room of The Commons. Admission is free.

Dean Hamer is a preeminent geneticist at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. In “The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes” he reveals that an inclination toward religious faith is in good measure due to our genes and may even offer an evolutionary advantage by helping us get through difficulties, reducing stress, preventing disease and extending life. Hamer is also the author of “The Science of Desire: The Search for the Gay Gene and the Biology of Behavior,” a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and “Living With Our Genes.”

Hamer’s lecture is part of an annual series sponsored by the Cornell program Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare. The series addresses the interdisciplinary areas of science, the humanities and the social sciences. Previous programming has featured a lecture by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (2005), and a symposium with representatives of the sports medicine and athletic training programs at the University of Iowa, along with football coach Kirk Ferentz (2006).