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Program for Personalized and Genomic Medicine

Our Mission

The mission of the Program for Personalized and Genomic Medicine is to advance discovery in genomics and other “omic” sciences; to accelerate translational research and implementation of these discoveries into more effective and safe individualized health care; and to enhance the training and education of current and future generations of health professionals, scientists and consumers in personalized and genomic medicine.

University of Maryland System wide partnerships foster discovery, translation and education goals through implementation of the following:

Discovery:

  • Recruit new interdisciplinary faculty to advance personalized and genomic medicine, pharmacogenomics, nutrigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics in the University and scientific community at large.
  • Build infrastructure for basic, clinical, and translational research; establish accessible unique biobanks and provide the informatics linking these biobanks with the electronic medical record and “omic” databases to enable transformative basic, clinical and translational research discoveries.

Translation:

  • Create clinical and laboratory genomics and decision support informatics resources to advance individualized patient care, improve outcomes and reduce health care costs.
  • Promote individual health and wellness by applying genomic and other ”omic” technologies to prevent disease.
  • Support personalized and genomic medicine implementation projects to define and disseminate best practices for diverse health care systems in Maryland and beyond.

Education:

  • Promote sustainability and growth of personalized and genomic medicine through innovative education programs for new generations of clinicians, scientists and consumers.

The unveiling of the complete sequence of the human genome is providing exciting new insights into human biology and disease. Coupled with advances occurring in areas such as high throughput technologies and computing, exceptional opportunities now exist to uncover the molecular bases of many medical conditions, from rare monogenic diseases to common diseases of complex inheritance - discoveries that will translate into exciting new strategies for prevention and treatment.

The Program in Personalized and Genomic Medicine is an inter-departmental program that emphasizes a multidisciplinary team approach to research training and discovery. Faculty have expertise across a wide range of disciplines including clinical investigation, molecular genetics, cytogenetics, cancer genetics, biochemical genetics, functional genomics, molecular and cell biology, genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, and bioinformatics.

The program offers opportunities for students at all stages including undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate. The graduate program grants both master’s and doctoral level degrees.Graduate training for students interested in genetics and genomics is supported by the Graduate Program In Life Sciences (GPILS), including the Program in Epidemiology & Human Genetics and the Program in Molecular Medicine. In addition, there is the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) nationally accredited Master's in Genetic Counseling training program. Positions are also available for post-doctoral fellows in genetics/genomics as well as M.D. fellows.