Genomics and Precision Health Posts
Family health history is a non-modifiable risk factor—or is it?
“I met three different women who had been tested [genetic testing for mutations in the BReast CAncer susceptibility (BRCA) genes] early on, in 1996, when the BRCA test first came out. They told me their family history story of mothers, aunts, uncles, and a dad who suffered from breast or ovarian or related cancers, and Read More >
Posted on byEvery Cause Needs a Champion: Jean Chabut as a Public Health Genomics Pioneer
Cham·pi·on noun \ˈcham-pē-ən\: someone who fights or speaks publicly in support of a person, belief, cause, etc. Most public health programs can point to a key person or group who was instrumental in assuring not only the program’s successful introduction but also its long-term viability. Jean Chabut was that champion for public health genomics in Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPublic Health Approach to Big Data in the Age of Genomics: How Can we Separate Signal from Noise?
The term Big Data is used to describe massive volumes of both structured and unstructured data that is so large and complex it is difficult to process and analyze. Examples of big data include the following: diagnostic medical imaging, DNA sequencing and other molecular technologies, environmental exposures, behavioral factors, financial transactions, geographic information & social Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentOutsmarting Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens
The evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is occurring at an alarming rate and is outpacing the development of new countermeasures. —White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, September 18, 2014 In the contest between humans and pathogens, each faction has an evolutionary advantage: we have the brains to plot antimicrobial strategies but they Read More >
Posted on byEpigenetics and Public Health: Why We Should Pay Attention
In September 2014, one of us (MJK) spoke on the topic of epigenetics at the Annual Meeting of the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). ASTHO is a national organization representing public health agencies in the United States. ASTHO members formulate and influence public health policy and practice. In the midst of a Read More >
Posted on bySuicide, Family History, and Genomics
We must continue to search for new methods to effectively address the tremendous problem of suicide. Despite recent interest, genomics does not provide the solution today, but there is a lot that we can do now using an established public health approach to prevention. Millions were shocked by the news that comedian Robin Williams Read More >
Posted on byIs Genomics Widening the Schism Between Medicine and Public Health?
In 2007, we published a paper entitled: “Will genomics heal or widen the schism between medicine and public health?” We explored the long standing split between medicine and public health and how the emergence of genomics and other technologies can affect it. The “schism” was identified by Kerr White in his 1991 book in which Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentNobody is average but what to do about it? The challenge of individualized disease prevention based on genomics
Each week, Garrison Keillor shares with National Public Radio listeners the latest news from Lake Wobegon where “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.” The concept of “average” is deeply rooted in our scientific analysis of all health related traits such as height, Read More >
Posted on byGeography, Genetics and Leading Causes of Death
In the United States, the 5 leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases (stroke), and unintentional injuries. On May 2, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an MMWR report on the annual number of potentially preventable deaths from these 5 causes in the United States. Read More >
Posted on byEvidence Matters in Genomic Medicine- Round 4: Where are we with Pharmacogenomic Tests?
Previously, CDC’s Office of Public Health Genomics announced a list of health-related genomic tests and applications, stratified into three tiers according to the availability of scientific evidence and evidence-based recommendations and systematic reviews. The list is intended to promote information exchange and dialogue among researchers, providers, policy makers, and the public. Initially the table relied Read More >
Posted on by