News and events

CEGeM External Advisory Board Meeting - May 21, 2010

The Center will have its first annual External Advisory Board Meeting this May. The Advisory Board will review the Center's progress, identify areas for improvement, and help to plan next steps. The CEGeM Advisory Board consists of five members:

Alfred O. Berg, MD, MPH is Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. This area of inquiry is congruent with Dr. Berg's interests as the Chair of the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Working Group, an initiative launched in 2004 to establish and evaluate a systematic,  evidencebased process for assessing genetic tests and other applications of genomic technology in transition from research to clinical and public health practice.

Vence L. Bonham, JD is Associate Investigator in the Social and Behavioral Research Branch, of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Division of Intramural Research. Mr. Bonham also currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the Director on Societal Implications of Genomics, at the National Human Genome Research Institute. In these roles, he has had considerable experience in understanding and evaluating the potential ramifications of advances in genomic technology for multiple domains of society, including racial disparities. In addition, Mr. Bonham directs the NHGRI Education and Community Involvement Branch, which leads the Institute's community engagement and public education programs. These programs provide a critical perspective on the research activities at NHGRI and in genomics more broadly.

Lawrence Brody, PhD is a Senior Investigator and head of the Molecular Pathogenesis Section in the Genome Technology Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute. His laboratory studies the genetic mutations that lead to perturbations in normal metabolic pathways and cause disorders such as cancer and birth defects. He is interested in the translation of advances in genomics into clinical practice and is part of the team involved in the Multiplex Initiative, a prospective study of the impact of a panel of SNPs for eight common disorders on health behavior and clinical decision making.

Alexandra E. Shields, PhD is Director of the Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities, which is specifically interested in the challenges in translating genetics research into clinical practice, including the effects on health care delivery and social disparities. The Center examines the complex intersection of emerging genetics research and the persistent problem of health disparities through in-depth analyses of three key clinical areas: tobacco dependence, asthma, and diabetes, as well as a range of health services research and health policy analyses addressing the impact of genomic medicine on public health and underserved populations more broadly.

Steven M. Teutsch, MD, MPH  is Chief Science Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  Dr. Teutsch has a longstanding interest in the evaluation of approaches to improving public health, including serving as the Director of the Division of Prevention Research and Analytic Methods at the CDC, and as a member of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, and the US Preventive Services Task Force. Prior to his current position, Dr. Teutsch was the Director of US Outcomes Research at Merck. Over the last decade, Dr. Teutsch has become increasingly involved in the evaluation of genomic applications because of the tremendous potential for both benefit and harm from the rapid progress in this area. As part of that interest, he chairs the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS), which advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the broad range of human health and societal issues raised by the development and use and potential misuse of genetic technologies. In addition, Dr. Teutsch is a member of the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Working Group and chairs the methods subgroup.