Category: personalized medicine

Large-Scale Population Studies as a Path to Personalized Medicine: Easier Said than Done!

two puzzle pieces coming together made out of a population with a magnifying glass on them and DNA in the background

For more than two decades, advances in genomics have promised a new era of personalized or precision medicine (i.e., the right intervention to the right person at the right time). Scientific evaluation of new gene discoveries has been aided by the launch of large-scale epidemiologic and clinical collaborative global studies. In a recent commentary, McCarthy Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury and Marta Gwinn, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags

The Ultimate Selfie

girl seeing a reflection in the water with DNA swimming in it

Now within reach, our personal genomic sequence offers an incredible reflection of who we are, and great promise to improve human health, but there are serious concerns about embracing it too quickly. Empowered Consumers in the Era of Me If social media is any indication, we, like Narcissus of ancient myth, are surely self-obsessed creatures. Read More >

Posted on by Scott Bowen and Muin J Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3 CommentsTags , , , ,

When Should We All Have Our Genomes Sequenced?

a crowd of people with DNA in the foreground

Recently, George Church, a prominent genomics researcher and leader of the Personal Genome Project asked why so few people are opting to inspect their genome. The cost and accuracy of genome sequencing have certainly improved dramatically. He clearly sees the health benefits of whole genome sequencing. He states “we should avoid being judgmental of people Read More >

Posted on by Muin J Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2 CommentsTags , , ,

The Public Health Approach to Genetic Testing in the 21st Century: Saving Lives and Saving Unnecessary Healthcare Costs

vials on top of money

In March 2012, a prominent health insurer in the United States released a white paper entitled: “Personalized Medicine: trends and prospects for the new science of genetic testing and molecular diagnostics” By analyzing their own claims data, the report suggests that in 2010, the cost of genetic and molecular diagnostic testing for its members was about $500 Read More >

Posted on by Muin J Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention4 CommentsTags , , , ,