Personalized Genomic Medicine

Recommended Textbook: Genomics and Personalized Medicine- What everyone needs to know by Michael Snyder

Advances in genetics and genomics, and especially the sequencing of the human genome, are making it possible to customize medical care to the specific needs of an individual. Prevention is enhanced by the ability to identify individuals at risk of disease. New diagnostic tests, up to and including whole genome sequencing, provide increasingly powerful tools for the identification of the genetic basis for both rare and common disorders. A better understanding of the causes of disease is permitting drugs to be developed that precisely target disease mechanisms, increasing efficacy and avoiding side effects. Drug dosage can also be customized to an individual’s exact physiology, preventing either underdosing or overdosing. These new developments are leading to major changes in healthcare delivery and provide us with new opportunities and complex choices. Genomic testing raises complex issues regarding the interpretation of results, given both the voluminous data that must be evaluated and the possibility of finding results of unclear medical significance. This course will introduce students to the various genetic, genomic, and informatic tools now available to enable the personalization of healthcare.