The mission of the Division of Genomic Education is to educate physicians and clinical professionals to maximize their ability to utilize Genomic Medicine. Genetic research has transformed the ideas and concepts underlying modern medicine. The next step is to incorporate genomics directly into the clinical care of patients, a process known as genomic medicine. To help physicians get ready for this next generation of medical practice, we are focused on providing state of the art training for the medical community.
The benefits of Genomic Medicine should be available to all patients. However, most of the current research studies in Genomic Medicine utilize individuals with European ancestry. Thus, there is a great need for introducing diversity in these efforts. To raise awareness of this problem, “The Conference to Eliminate Health Disparities in Genomic Medicine” has had three very successful meetings. The first, funded with the help of the Life Technology and Hussman Foundations, was in Miami and focused on the role of the populations themselves in genomic medicine. The second, in collaboration with Stanford University, and with major funding from SAP and the Hussman Foundation, occurred in San Francisco and concerned the role of business in diversity of Genomic Medicine. The third conference, with our partners at Stanford University and now the CDC, was held in Washington DC, examining the role of government in addressing Genomic Medicine disparities.