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"Genomics – study of the structure and function of the entire complement of genetic information in the cell – is catalyzing rapid advances in both biology and medicine."  

"In biology, genomics is illuminating pathways of cellular development and function, as well as patterns of evolution at the population level."

"In medicine, genomics has revolutionized diagnosis of rare disease, sometimes revealing new therapies.  Cancer is due to accumulation of mutations in multiple genes and can define the landscape of these changes to guide treatment."

"Genomics is also providing clues to the genetic contributors to  common diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, providing insights into causes of these problems. Genomic approaches will increasingly be integrated across all of medicine, helping prevent disease or provide targeted treatments. We are also developing the ability to edit genomic information for therapeutic benefit. Although this raises complex ethical questions, it also offers new approaches to improving quality of life for those with genetic disorders."

 

Bruce R. Korf, Ph.D., M.D.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham


Dr. Korf is the Wayne H. and Sara Crews Finley Chair in Medical Genetics, Professor and Chair of the Department of Genetics, Director of the Heflin Center for Genomic Sciences at UAB, and Co-Director of the UAB-HudsonAlpha Center for Genomic Medicine. He is a medical geneticist, pediatrician, and child neurologist, certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics (clinical genetics, clinical cytogenetics, clinical molecular genetics), American Board of Pediatrics, and American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (child neurology).

His major research interests are molecular diagnosis of genetic disorders and the natural history, genetics, and treatment of neurofibromatosis. He serves as principal investigator of the Department of Defense funded Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Consortium.

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