Our Program
The recent and rapid advancement of knowledge and technologies in genomics has enabled major breakthroughs in heart, lung, and blood (HLB) research. Yet, we face a deficit in interdisciplinary and collaborative HLB genetic epidemiologists who can address the challenges and opportunities characterizing today’s wide and ever-expanding genomics knowledge base and threats to HLB health. This NIH-supported T32 training grant (HL129982) is a direct response to these challenges and opportunities. Initiated in 2016, we support six (three pre-doctoral and three postdoctoral) fellows. Pre-doctoral fellows are required to pursue a doctoral degree in epidemiology, specializing in HLB genetic epidemiology. Postdoctoral fellows are required to have prior expertise in epidemiology, human genetics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computational biology, medicine, or applied mathematics. Our selection of internationally known mentors with established research collaborations, unique and multidisciplinary training environment and unparalleled research opportunities make us exceptionally well-positioned to develop the next generation of genetic epidemiology leaders who are well-equipped to investigate the genetic underpinnings and public health challenges of HLB traits and associated diseases.
Public Health Relevance
The recent and rapid advancement of knowledge and technologies in genomics has enabled major breakthroughs in heart, lung, and blood (HLB) research. Yet, we face a deficit in interdisciplinary and collaborative HLB genetic epidemiologists who can address the challenges and opportunities characterizing today’s wide and ever-expanding genomics knowledge base and threats to HLB health. Our selection of internationally known mentors with established research collaborations, unique and multidisciplinary training environment and unparalleled research opportunities make us exceptionally well-positioned to lead this novel training program and develop the next generation of genetic epidemiology leaders who are well-equipped to investigate the genetic underpinnings and public health challenges of HLB traits and associated diseases.
GenHLB Core Competencies
Identify GenHLB research priorities
- Formulation of original research questions that will contribute to understanding the genetic epidemiology of HLB traits.
Develop and execute a GenHLB research project
- Understand alternate research designs, and methods for studying the genetic epidemiology of HLB, including selection of appropriate OMICs approaches, innovative quantitative genetic methods, or sample selection for culture and disparities A set of methods unique to the analysis of OMICs data as exposures and HLB phenotypes in clinical or population-based studies should be understood.
- Learn appropriate skills for the collection of data via laboratory or field studies and/or the use of secondary
- Develop statistical and analytic skills needed to test hypotheses in Gen HLB research and interpret results, and critically evaluate the scientific literature.
- Understand HLB biology, pathophysiology, and
- Further knowledge and understanding of responsible conduct of research and research ethics, particularly in relation to racially/ethnically diverse study
Communication
- Develop scientific writing skills to enable reporting of research findings (e.g. dissertation, papers for scientific journals, and research grant proposals).
- Present scientific results in oral presentations.
- Explain and teach epidemiology
Collaboration
- Gain research experience in interdisciplinary training environments that extend across multiple GenHLB training