University at Buffalo (UB)
Genomic studies have matured over the last decade and are poised to improve biomedical outcomes via precision medicine. The primary ethical and scientific obstacle preventing their imminent and routine translation, however, is that they are vastly Eurocentric—current studies would provide systematically greater benefits to European descent populations than to those already most underserved. Moreover, multi-ethnic studies create major scientific opportunities missed by Eurocentric studies. They uniquely inform the extent to which heritable and environmental factors are shared or population specific. To realize equitable benefits of genetics in precision medicine, we are developing analytical methods, tools, community resources, and massive data analyses to facilitate genetic studies across diverse ancestries. In this talk, I will focus on work advancing gene-discovery efforts in globally diverse populations using large-scale meta-analysis across global biobanks. Additionally, I will describe work underway setting up the largest genetic studies of psychiatric phenotypes in underrepresented populations, including over 120,000 participants spanning Latin America and Africa. Lastly, I will describe work evaluating how genetic and exposure risks together predict disease outcomes in diverse populations.
Dr. Martin will be hosted by Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jamal B. Williams, PhD. “Dr. Martin is innovating novel tools that consider multi-ethnic populations and rolling back the exclusion of certain ancestral groups in genetic research, that diminish precision medicine capabilities.” Says Williams. This event is co-sponsored by the Community of Scholars, and the departments of Psychiatry and Biochemistry.
DATE: April 23, 2024
TIME: 12:00 PM
LOCATION: In person, Murphy Family Seminar Room 5019 A+B, Clinical and Translational Science Research Center, 875 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, and online via Zoom.
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/GVVCXJS6XS5VkD6AA
For more information, contact scholar1@buffalo.edu or 716-829-4718.
Morgann Clark Schaefer
Email: morgannc@buffalo.edu