Interdisciplinary Training in Genetics & Complex Disease

我们的培训拨款提案“遗传学和复杂疾病的跨学科培训”直接满足了以综合方法发展博士前和博士后培训的需要，以应对当今公共卫生科学的挑战。我们的目标是培养一批年轻科学家，他们可以参与分子生物学、流行病学和生物统计学的交叉研究，成为理解公共卫生领域遗传学和复杂疾病的综合和团队方法的领导者。在后基因组时代，我们开始理解和汇编人类种群中遗传变异的广度。精细地使用这些信息需要发展先进的生物统计分析方法。此外，现代流行病学研究已经形成了对健康风险暴露的强化观点，包括饮食、生活方式、代谢改变、社会经济地位等因素

Our training grant proposal "Interdisciplinary Training in Genetics and Complex Diseases" directly meets the need to develop pre- and post-doctoral training in an integrative approach to meet the challenges of today's public health science. Our goal is to develop a cadre of young scientists who can participate at the intersection of molecular biology, epidemiology, and biostatistics to become leaders in integrative and team approaches to understanding genetics and complex diseases in the public health arena. In the post-genomic era we are beginning to comprehend and compile the breadth of genetic variation within the human population. Refined use of this information requires the development of advanced methods of biostatistical analyses. In addition, modern epidemiological studies have evolved an enhanced view of health risk exposures to include factors such as diet, lifestyle, metabolic alterations, socioeconornic status along with environmental exposures (e.g., pollutants, toxicants). The latter expanded view provides more meaningful and precise studies of environmental contributions to complex disease. Finally, to make significant progress in disease prevention, a hallmark of public health, there is a pressing need to translate genetic advances into programs and policies focused on preventing common and costly chronic diseases. Only by understanding the importance of genetic profile can we identify who will truly benefit from public interventions. A new science and new scientific toolbox will be needed if we are to truly understand the nature of common genetic modifiers that interact with multiple environmental factors. We seek to establish a new track for interdisciplinary education that intersects the boundaries of molecular biology, epidemiology and biostatistics with a core foundation in cell physiology and metabolism that will develop key concepts focused on context-dependent gene-environment interactions in complex diseases. Our specific focus for trainees is on gene-environment interactions in the broadest possible sense, and on a generalized set of complex diseases rather than on an individual syndrome, with the recognition that science today is becoming substantially predicated in several "core" areas that intersect across disciplines. We will develop integrated coursework, sponsor workshops, establish a new seminar series, and foster interactive "cores" to enable our trainees to undertake the challenges that lie ahead to define the molecular signatures of disease patterns.