Genetics
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Genes for Good: Harnessing the Power of Facebook to Study a Large, Diverse Genetic Pool
New Research from Gonçalo Abecasis and Katharine Brieger
Collecting DNA samples for human genetic studies can be an expensive, lengthy process that has often made it difficult to include diverse populations. Now, University of Michigan researchers believe they have found a way to harness the power of social media to recruit a large, diverse participant pool. Read more
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Massive Sequencing Study Links Rare DNA Alterations to Type 2 Diabetes
New Research from Michael Boehnke
An international consortium of scientists has analyzed protein-coding genes from nearly 46,000 people, linking rare DNA alterations to type 2 diabetes. The study, one of the largest known of its type, includes data from people of European, African American, Hispanic/Latino, East Asian, and South Asian ancestries. Read more
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Statewide Dementia Coalition Co-Chaired By Scott Roberts Issues New Roadmap to Make Michigan 'Dementia Capable'
Scott Roberts, professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, has been appointed co-chair of the Michigan Dementia Coalition (MDC). The MDC is a statewide group of >120 individuals from approximately 65 organizations that works to identify opportunities to improve quality of life for Michigan residents with dementia and their families. Read more
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IN THE NEWS: Massive NIH-Industry Project Opens Portals to Target Validation
New Research from Michael Boehnke
Five years in, the US$360 million Accelerating Medicines Partnership is yielding tools to speed up drug discovery for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, diabetes, Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Read more
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IN THE NEWS: Would a DNA Test Help You Stick to Your Diet?
Scott Roberts Quoted in the L.A. Times
A new wave of consumer DNA tests that will analyze our genetic makeup promises to offer clues, from risk for different kinds of cancer and heart conditions to how we process certain foods or whether we’re likely to weigh more than average. Read more
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Older Adults Are Interested in DNA Testing, with a Dose of Skepticism
New Institute of Healthcare Policy and Innovation Poll
Only a small percentage of people in their 50s and early 60s have had their DNA tested—either for medical reasons, to learn their ancestry or out of curiosity—but far more have an interest in getting such tests done, according to a new poll. Read more
