Understanding Individual Health by Looking at the Genomics of Populations
Population health is the study of the differences and similarities in the genetic makeup of populations. Understanding genetic ancestry can be a key to unlock precision medicine to better understand the cause of disease or to treat individuals with the right medicine, in the right dose. at the right time.
From 2016 when IGS's Tim O'Connor, PhD, and his team proved that major genomic databases are racially biased, filled with participants of European ancestry, our faculty has worked with diverse populations to better understand the genetic epidemiology of underrepresented populations including African- and Latin-American populations.
Population genomics involves analyzing large data sets to see what genes may have mutated, drifted, or remained constant in populations. Researchers also use Genomic-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to learn about populations.