Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention Muin J. Khoury, M.D., Ph.D, Director

(1 position) Office of Genetics and Disease Prevention, NCEH CDC, Atlanta.  News from the Human Genome Project has captivated scientists and the public, raising expectations that health benefits will follow quickly. However, much work remains to translate research results into new opportunities for disease prevention, detection, and treatment. Three priority research areas clearly call for a public health approach:

• Understanding how genomic factors influence the health of populations.
  Discovering how genetic traits interact with environmental, nutritional, infectious and behavioral factors can suggest new ways of targeting interventions for diseases with public health impact.

• Examining the value of genomic tests for screening and prevention.
  Population-based studies are essential for estimating the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and clinical utility of tests for susceptibility genes in complex diseases.

• Assessing family history as a tool for prevention.
  An interdisciplinary public health research effort is currently evaluating family history a potential measure of shared genetic risk, (and shared environment) as a tool for effecting positive changes in health behaviors and improved health outcomes.

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), state newborn screening programs, local birth defect surveillance programs (e.g. the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program), and public opinion surveys (e.g., HealthStyles 2002 survey). EIS Officers also have the opportunity to develop studies and analyses related to ongoing projects in OGDP (e.g., development of a public health family history tool, evaluation of a direct-to-consumer marketing campaign for genetic testing) or their own interests.

Proposed Initial Projects:  (1) In collaboration with CDC programs and outside organizations, evaluate the contribution of genes to the occurrence of selected diseases (eg, see http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/hugenet/default.htm). (2) Analyze data on genetic testing to assess the availability, use, and performance characteristics of DNA-based genetic tests.  (3) Analyze the validity and predictive value of family history collected in research and public health settings.

Supervisors: Drs. Marta Gwinn (EIS ’83) (Primary) and Muin Khoury (EIS ’80) (Secondary)
Consult  Drs. Mary Lou Lindegren (EIS ’89), Paula Yoon (EIS ’94), Melanie Myers (EIS ’00). 

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