Overview
Our investigators are focused on the identification of human genetic variation that alters risk for a wide variety of complex pulmonary and critical care-related diseases and developing new approaches to elucidate these genetic factors.
These lines of research incorporate advanced molecular genetic tools ranging from low-throughput approaches such as PCR-based allelic discrimination assays to cutting-edge genome-wide sequencing techniques.
Our faculty and fellows employ a broad range of study designs from focused candidate gene approaches to genome-wide searches for common and rare risk alleles.
Our group also employs advanced techniques, transcriptomics, proteomics, and molecular and cell biology to develop a mechanistic understanding of the observed genetic effects.
Trainees in this program may choose to supplement their research training by pursuing formal instruction in genetic epidemiologic techniques as part of the Master of Science degree in Genetic Epidemiology program offered through the School of Public Health.
A Tradition of Collaboration
In addition to genetic epidemiologic expertise within our division, we have well-established ties within the Division of Medical Genetics and the Department of Genome Sciences and several important local resources including the Kidney Research Institute (KRI), the Northwest Institute for Genomic Medicine (NWIGM) and Seattle Variation Discovery Resource (SeattleSNPs). This level of collaboration across multiple departments and organizations, allows faculty and fellows to broaden the scope of their research and consult experts around the region and beyond.