Genomics and Precision Health Posts

Precision Public Health in Action: New CDC Pilot Projects Integrate Human Genomics into Public Health Surveillance and Applied Research

a magnifying glass looking at a globe with DNA

In collaboration with the CDC Office of Advanced Molecular Detection, we recently launched a new, five-year initiative to strengthen public health capacity by introducing elements of human genomics into both public health surveillance and applied research. We report here on the successful launch of one of the initiative’s components. The Office of Genomics and Precision Public Read More >

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

Equitable Implementation of Cascade Testing for Genetic Disorders: Where are We?

a cascade testing pedigree with a scale and a figure with a magnifying glass looking at a question mark

Testing relatives of individuals with genetic disorders, a process known as cascade testing or cascade screening, is critical for identifying those needing health services that can prevent morbidity and mortality. Yet, cascade testing is poorly implemented in clinical practice. For example, there are several genetic conditions with CDC tier 1 evidence-based recommendations for cascade testing, Read More >

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

From Precision Medicine to Precision Public Health: The Dialogue Continues

Precision on a triangle above Medicine and Public Health with the map of the US in the middle filled with a population and DNA and a magnifying glass on a person in red

A recent Nature article discusses the concept of precision public health (PPH) and raises concerns that too much emphasis on data and technology is “diverting attention away from regular public health.” In this post, we advance this important dialogue by focusing on two distinct components of PPH: its role in reaping the population health benefits Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, and Josh Denny, All of Us Research Program, National Institutes for Health, Bethesda, MarylandLeave a commentTags

The Current Landscape of CDC Publications in Human Genomics and Public Health

sequencing with a double helix and a doctor pointing to different icons above a farm field

In October 2021, the CDC Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health (OGPPH) launched a new, five-year initiative to strengthen public health capacity in genomics and precision medicine. The emergence of evidence-based genomic applications and lack of equity in their implementation in clinical and public health practice provided an important impetus for this initiative. To Read More >

Posted on by Mindy Clyne, W. David Dotson, Anja Wulf, Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaLeave a comment

Genomics and Precision Medicine 2021: Progress in Implementation, A Focus on Health Equity, and a New Public Health Initiative

a doctor using his stethoscope on a puzzle piece of a population with dice changing from 2021 to 2022

In this post, we reflect on another eventful year in genomics and precision medicine and review the emerging opportunities for the field to make an impact on population health. We use the annual review published by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) along with our own website updates, and blogs as a springboard for Read More >

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

The Use of Machine Learning in Health Care: No Shortcuts on the Long Road to Evidence-based Precision Health

a doctor points to different icons

Two recent systematic reviews reveal the high risk of bias present in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies based on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Digitization of health data holds profound potential to change the way we collect information and interact with the health care system. In current times, an increasing volume of health-related Read More >

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

Applications of Polygenic Risk Scores to Population Health: Where Are We?

a polygenic risk curve over a population

An international multidisciplinary group of experts in genetics, law, ethics, behavioral sciences, and other fields reviews the state of science on polygenic scores and highlights risks and gaps before widespread use in practice. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) combine the small effects of many genes across the human genome to estimate the risk of a disease Read More >

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

Contributions of Genomics to the Fight Against Malaria

This Giemsa-stained, thin film blood smear photomicrograph reveals the presence of a young, growing, Plasmodium vivax trophozoite (Lt), and a platelet stack (Cntr), which resembles a P. falciparum gametocyte.

Malaria was endemic in the United States (US) when the Communicable Disease Center was purposefully opened in Atlanta, GA, rather than Washington DC, in 1946. The Communicable Disease Center, now the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was started closest to where malaria elimination efforts were needed: the Southern US, including Georgia, suffered Read More >

Posted on by Colleen Scott, Division of Global HIV & TB, and Eldin Talundzic, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags

New CDC Partnerships to Advance the Development and Validation of Next Generation Sequencing Tests: A Publicly Available List of Expert Curated Variants

a person using scissors to cut DNA

Over the last decade, genetic testing has evolved from examining a few well-defined variants in one or a few genes to the capability to examine much of the human genome using next generation sequencing (NGS). These analyses are particularly useful for disorders with locus and allelic heterogeneity, and are now the norm in several clinical Read More >

Posted on by Lisa V. Kalman, Ira M. Lubin, Division of Laboratory Systems, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags

Happy Thanksgiving 2021: Family Health History in the COVID-19 Era

Knowing and acting on your family health history can protect your health. Use My Family Health Portrait to take the first steps: Collect your family helath history - Share it with your doctor and family; an image of an extended family with a button labeled VISIT My Family Health Portrait

For a second year in a row, this Thanksgiving might not look the same as the ones before it, but some things haven’t changed. Even if you can’t see your loved ones in person, Thanksgiving is still a great time to talk to your family members about your family health history. Having one or more family members Read More >

Posted on by Ridgely Fisk Green and Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a comment