Genomics and Precision Health Posts

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, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags

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 HealthLeave a commentTags

Stool-based Colorectal Cancer Screening in the COVID-19 Era

a figure with the colon highlighted and a COVID-19 virus

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a devastating public health toll and in many indirect ways. While people work from home and avoid social contact, many may also be skipping important preventive care. Findings released in May of 2020 indicated a drop of between 86% and 94% in preventive cancer screenings in 2020 compared with Read More >

Posted on by W. David Dotson, Muin J. Khoury, M. Scott Bowen Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science; & Nicole F. Dowling, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health PromotionLeave a commentTags

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, GeorgiaLeave a comment

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, MarylandLeave a commentTags ,

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, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags , ,

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 DisabilitiesLeave a commentTags ,

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines: An Incredible Feat of Genomic Technology

In December 2020, less than a year after the SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified, two COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were approved for use in the United States under an Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Never has a U.S. vaccine been developed so quickly, and genome technology made Read More >

Posted on by Joanne Cono, W. David Dotson, Ridgely Fisk Green, and Muin J. Khoury, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2 CommentsTags ,

How Common is Familial Hypercholesterolemia?

people holding hands with a heart above them in the air

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that leads to high blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as LDL-C or “bad cholesterol.” Most people with FH have heterozygous FH, meaning they have only one FH-causing mutation, but in rare cases, a person can have homozygous FH, meaning they have FH-causing mutations in both Read More >

Posted on by Frank Swann, Dual MSGC/MPH Class of 2022, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and Ridgely Fisk Green, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags

Next Generation Sequencing to Diagnose Primary Immunodeficiency

three children with sequencing in the background

Primary immunodeficiencies (PI) are a group of more than 400 genetic disorders that alter the ability of the immune system to fight off infection and affect 1 out of 1,2001 births in the United States. Patients with PI are at increased risk of recurrent infections, certain malignancies, and death. Initial identification of PI in a Read More >

Posted on by Aditi Kantipuly, Medical Student, McGill University and Ridgely Fisk Green, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags