Category: public health

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 , ,

Reducing the Global Public Health Burden of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: More Work Ahead

a map of the world, an artery clogged with cholesterol and a pedigree with hearts

In our previous blog, we discussed familial hypercholesterolemia as a prototype for “precision public health” and how the combination of public health and genetic approaches can contribute to raising awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of more than 1 million individuals in the United States with this relatively common genetic condition. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an underdiagnosed Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health; and Betsy L. Thompson, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags ,

Genomic Medicine Year in Review 2019: What’s Hot for Public Health Impact?

2019 to 2020 with fireworks

Advances in genomic medicine continue at a fast and steady pace. In a recent paper, The Genomic Medicine Working Group of the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research of the National Human Genome Research Institute identified the most significant advances in genomic medicine among 48 recognized “accomplishments” published during the 12 months ending August 31, Read More >

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

Genetic Counseling and Public Health in the Era of Precision Medicine

In August 2019, the All of Us Research Program announced the funding of a nationwide resource to provide genetic counseling support to one or more million participants in the precision medicine cohort in the United States. Participants from diverse populations will share health information over time through surveys and electronic health records, and they will Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia1 CommentTags , ,

Perspectives from a state genetics coordinator: Public health’s role in addressing familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in the United States

a body with exposed heart and an artery with cholesterol and a pedigree in the background

For several years I have pondered what should or could be the state public health agency role in addressing FH. Most of my public health genetics colleagues were actively working on other CDC-labeled tier 1 conditions, such as Lynch syndrome (LS) and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome (HBOC). While few, if any, of my Read More >

Posted on by Debra Lochner Doyle, Guest Blogger, State Genetics Coordinator, Washington State Department of Health, Kent, WashingtonLeave a commentTags ,

Trends in CDC Publications in Public Health Genomics, 2012-2016

Most articles by CDC authors in 2012-2016—especially those reporting original data—were focused on non-human (mostly pathogen) genomics

Public health genomics advances the translation of genome-based discoveries into disease prevention and population health. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are using information about human, vector, and pathogen genomes to tackle diverse public health problems, from newborn metabolic disorders to infectious disease outbreaks. For an overview of CDC publications in Read More >

Posted on by Junyu Chen, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Marta Gwinn, CFOL, Inc, and Muin J. Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags

Precision Public Health: More Precision Ahead for Individual and Population Interventions

people holding a sign reading Medicine & Public Health with DNA

In August 2016, we published a point-counterpoint viewpoint asking a crucial question that has been on the minds of researchers, health care providers and the public health community: “will precision medicine improve population health?” We understood that we were tackling “the elephant in the room” and hoped for reactions to this viewpoint. We were pleased Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and Sandro Galea, Dean, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts2 CommentsTags ,

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing and Public Health Education

a woman looking at her spit in a test tube, sequencing wrapped around a hand, a person looking at double helix on a monitor, a person discussion her genetic test results with a counslor and a crowd of people

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 by Muin J Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags , , ,

Genomic discoveries to clinical applications: Are we reaching an inflection point toward precision medicine?

a collage of four image: whole genome sequencing, a hand holding a pen pointing to DNA, a two people in a lab, doctor showing documents to a patient, DNA in the midddle and a family superimposed over all five images

Each year at the annual American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) meeting I follow certain rituals. During the first “poster session”, I quickly peruse all of the vendor booths on the floor to assess something of the overall flavor of the commercial space’s focus. During the next two poster sessions I cruise all of the Read More >

Posted on by W. Gregory Feero, MD, PhD, Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine ResidencyLeave 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 , , , ,