Category: genomics

Toward Achieving Health Equity for People with Genetic Disorders

s cancer cell, a heart, a drop of blood and a babies foot in front of sequencing

If health equity is about making sure that everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible, public health efforts to achieve health equity must include people with genetic disorders. Some might consider having a genetic disorder a health inequity itself—one present from birth and over which affected individuals have limited control. Thousands of Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Ridgely Fisk Green, Katherine Kolor, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia2 CommentsTags

An Evaluation of “My Family Health Portrait”: Strengths and Opportunities

2019-2020 Page Views by Age

CDC has hosted My Family Health Portrait (MFHP) since September 2018. Understanding current use of MFHP can help identify opportunities to improve and promote MFHP. We used Google Analytics to explore use of MFHP from Jan 1, 2019 to Dec 31, 2020. Google Analytics is a third-party tool that tracks user information, such as browser, Read More >

Posted on by Devin Yu, Class of 2022 Pharm.D. program, Northeastern University, and Ridgely Fisk Green, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia4 Comments

What should be the public health priorities in genomics and precision medicine in the next decade?

Public Health Priorities for the next Decade with two figures looking at data with a double helix

The CDC Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health is undergoing strategic planning to identify major opportunities for impact of public health action in human genomics and precision medicine in the next decade. As part of this process, we interviewed nine persons external to CDC from diverse backgrounds and organizations that represent the leading edge Read More >

Posted on by Katherine Kolor, Ridgely Fisk Green, and Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia1 Comment

What is Public Health Genomics? A Day in the Invisible Life of Public Health Genomics (an Encore)

Public Health Genomics with professionals looking at a double helix with a calendar

We published this blog a decade ago. As we celebrate 2021 public health genomics week, we republish the blog to remind our readers of the relevance of genomics to many areas of public health. The topics discussed  here may be outdated but the fundamental applications of public health genomics are today more important than ever. Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Public Health Genomics Priorities Through a Health Equity Lens

three individuals with one having a magnifying glass on him with a double helix

Achieving Health Equity in Genomics and Precision Medicine is More Important than Ever The CDC Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health is undergoing strategic planning to identify priorities and actions for genomics and precision medicine. As we embark on this work, we are focusing on health equity. The potential for genomics and precision medicine Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Scott Bowen, David Dotson, and Katherine Kolor, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaTags

Personal Reflections on Genomics, Health Equity, and Public Health

My nephew, Eddie, and niece, Sheri, were lively, witty, high-spirited, active, bright, and full of hope. Eddie dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, while Sheri aspired to become a mathematical engineer. But their childhood diagnoses with a type of kidney disease called nephrotic syndrome ended those dreams. While nephrotic syndrome can be inherited, we Read More >

Posted on by Michelle Rose, Office of Science Scientific Rotation 2020–2021 cohort, and Ridgely Fisk Green, Office of Genomics and Precision Public HealthTags

From Genes to Public Health: Building the Evidence Base for DNA-based Population Screening

sequencing with a double helix with figures in the foreground

This blog post is a summary of our recent commentary in Genetics in Medicine. The use of genetics in population screening long predates the Human Genome Project. For more than 60 years, newborn screening has been a successful public health program that has resulted in major improvements in outcomes for infants with genetic and other Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury MD, PhD, and W. David Dotson, PhD, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Host Genomics and COVID-19: One Year Later

whole genome sequencing and COVID-19

Unprecedented global research collaborations in human genomics provide a model for research in response to a pandemic.   Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, we discussed the role of research on human genetics in the investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We now know more about the wide variation in host response, from asymptomatic infection to Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Marta Gwinn, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia and George A. Mensah, Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, National Institutes for Health, Bethesda, MarylandTags ,

Applications of Digital Tools for Precision Public Health in the COVID-19 Era: Where Are We?

a COVID-19 virus floating around with digital bites coming out of a laptop

Two recent systematic scoping reviews explore the use and limitations of digital tools in public health surveillance and their applications to the pandemic response Digital health tools offer increasing potential for substantial benefits to medicine and public health. In clinical practice, digital applications include personal wearable devices, devices within the body, and sensors that can Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, W. David Dotson, Scott Bowen, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaTags , ,

Tier 1 Guidelines on Family-Based Screening for Hereditary Hemochromatosis

Tier 1 Guidelines for Hereditary Hemochromatosis with a photo of a family with adult children

An important function in public health genomics is to identify evidence-based genomic applications that can save lives and prevent disease. In maintaining the PHGKB Tier Coded Guidelines database, we routinely look for Tier 1 applications of genomic testing strategies that have evidence-based guidance supporting implementation in specific clinical scenarios. We only consider recommendations that have Read More >

Posted on by W. David Dotson, Katherine Kolor, Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science; and Scott D. Grosse, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesTags ,