Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention, NCEH Muin J. Khoury, M.D., Ph.D. (EIS, ‘80), Director

Realizing public health benefits from human genome research requires population-based studies to identify gene-environment interactions that cause disease.  Understanding how genetic traits interact with environmental, nutritional, infectious and behavioral factors can suggest new ways of targeting public health interventions for common diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, birth defects, and diabetes—that contribute most to morbidity and mortality in the United States.  The Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention collaborates with other CDC programs to analyze population-based epidemiologic data, collect and analyze information on genetic tests, perform systematic reviews assessing the contribution of genetics to specific conditions, and provide technical assistance to states and non-governmental organizations.  For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/.

Data are available from a wide variety of sources.  Previous analyses conducted by EIS Officers have examined data from large prospective cohort studies (e.g., American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study), national and international disease registries (e.g., Cystic Fibrosis Foundation National Registry and the international pseudoxanthoma elasticum registry), the National Hospital Discharge Survey, state newborn screening programs, local birth defect surveillance programs (e.g. the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program), and public opinion surveys (e.g., HealthStyles 2000 survey).  EIS Officers also have the opportunity to design and implement studies related to their own interests (including, for example, a recent multi-state study of the barriers to successful pregnancies among women with phenylketonuria).

Proposed initial projects

1. Analyze national morbidity databases to assess the public health burden of diseases with strong genetic components.
2. In collaboration with CDC programs and outside organizations, evaluate the contribution of genes to the occurrence of selected diseases.
3. Analyze data on genetic testing to assess the availability, use, and performance characteristics of DNA-based genetic tests.
4. Review and analyze literature on the epidemiology of specific gene-disease associations (eg. see http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/hugenet/default.htm).