Genomics and Precision Health Blog – Archive Posts
From Genes to Public Health 1996-2016: The Train Has Left the Station
In 1996, a working group from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an article in the American Journal of Public Health entitled: “From Genes to Public Health: Applications of Genetic Technology in Disease Prevention.” The agency-wide group assessed the implications of the Human Genome Project and related technologies for public health and disease Read More >
Posted on byPrecision Public Health: Reconciling Biological and Social Determinants of Health
On June 6-7, 2016, I had the honor of participating in the “Precision Public Health” summit hosted by the Gates Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology at the University of California in San Francisco. The summit focused on developing a global “precision” agenda to improve health and prevent death and disease Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentThe Shift From Personalized Medicine to Precision Medicine and Precision Public Health: Words Matter!
Advances in genomics and other ‘omic’ technologies have ushered in a new era variably called “personalized” or “precision” medicine, which takes into account individual genetic and other sources of variability in disease treatment and prevention. In the past decade, we have seen a significant growth in interest and usage of the terms personalized and precision Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentDoes genetic risk information improve healthy behavior? Let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water!
In a recent systematic review with meta-analysis, Hollands et al evaluated the impact of communicating genetic risk information on risk-reducing health behaviors and motivations for behavior change. The authors reviewed 18 studies with 7 behavioral outcomes, including smoking cessation, diet and physical activity. They found no significant effects of communicating DNA based risk estimates on Read More >
Posted on byNewborn screening for severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) saves lives and money: a cost-effective public health policy
Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), also known as “bubble boy disease,” is a rare inherited disorder of the immune system that leads to recurrent severe infections. In the absence of effective treatment, SCID is usually fatal within the first 2 years of life. Treatment by hematopoietic cell transplantation can minimize the devastating effects of SCID, Read More >
Posted on byDirect-to-Consumer Genetic Testing and Public Health Education
We have previously blogged about the value (or lack thereof) of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests in improving health. In a 2011 blog entitled “think before you spit” we cautioned that there was very little evidence that the use of such tests improves health and prevents disease for healthy people in the population. The blog was Read More >
Posted on byRare Diseases, Genomics and Public Health: An Expanding Intersection
Rare Disease Day is celebrated on the last day of February each year. On that day, millions of patients and their families around the world share their stories in order to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact. There are thousands of diseases that are individually rare but collectively common. In the United States, Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentCancer Precision Medicine: More Population Sciences Ahead!
We explore briefly the expanding role of population sciences in the implementation of the NIH Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). The initiative includes a major component on cancer precision treatment, and a large scale cohort study program to generate knowledge applicable to all areas of health and disease, including cancer risk factors and outcomes. Genomics is Read More >
Posted on byPrecision Medicine: the Arrival of Genomics to the Clinic is the Beginning of a Longer Journey
It has been a year since the announcement of the new US Precision Medicine Initiative. As new funding is awarded to investigators across the country, the pace of assembling the cohort of a million or more individuals will accelerate. This cohort will link information from genomic, behavioral, social, environmental, and health outcomes to discover and Read More >
Posted on byPublic Health Genomics 2015: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
In 2015, the United States launched the precision medicine initiative that includes a cancer component and a national cohort research study of one million or more people. While much of this initiative will take years to develop outputs for use in health care, a public health perspective is crucial to ensure the initiative’s success in Read More >
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