Diversity and genomics

Non-adherence to guidelines for genetic testing in families with ovarian cancer shows racial bias

Omorodion JO, Nathan A, Lipsitz S, Koyama S, Perez E, Green RC, Natarajan P, Gold NB

Genetics In Medicine April 2025

G2P 2024 Year in Review

G2P News |

December 2024

G2P News

Thanks to you, we made it happen! Extending a heartfelt thank you for your support of the Genomes2People Research Program in 2024. This newsletter highlights milestones in 2024, including expanding the BabySeq project to 7 sites nationwide, hosting 15 research trainees, contributing to a successful International Conference on Newborn Sequencing, and completing the first ever … Continued

Preferences of parents from diverse backgrounds on genomic screening of apparently healthy newborns

Gold NB, Omorodion JO, del Rosario MC, Rivera-Cruz G, Hsu CY, Ziniel SI, Holm IA

Journal of Genetic Counseling April 2025

BabySeq Project Finds Similar Rates of Genetic Risk Variants Across Diverse Groups

GenomeWeb |

September 2024

Press

“Similar rates of genetic variants have been reported across demographic groups participating in the BabySeq1 and BabySeq2 projects, according to a new analysis presented at the National Society of Genetic Counselors annual meeting here last week.”

Defining and pursuing diversity in human genetic studies

Raven-Adams MC, Hernandez-Boussard T, Joly Y, Knoppers BM, Chandrasekharan S, Thorogood A, Kumuthini J, Loon Ho CW, Gonzalez A, Nelson SC, Bombard Y, Thaldar D, Liu H, Costa A, Muralidharan V, Henriques S, Nasir J, Lumaka A, Kaiser B, Jamuar SS, Lewis ACF

Nature Genetics September 2024

Diversity and scale: Genetic architecture of 2068 traits in the VA Million Veteran Program

Verma A, Huffman JE, Rodriguez A, Conery M, Liu M, Ho Y, Kim Y, Heise DA, Guare L, Panickan VA, Garcon H, Linares F, Costa L, Goethert I, Tipton R, Honerlaw J, Davies L, Whitebourne S, Cohen J, Posner DC, Sangar R, Murrary M, Wang X, Dochtermann DR, Devineni P, Shi Y, Nandi TN, Assimes TL, Brunette CA, Carroll RJ, Clifford R, Duvall S, Gelernter J, Hung A, Iyengar SK, Joseph J, Kember R, Kranzler H, Kripke CM, Levey D, Luoh S, Merritt VC, Overstreet C, Deak JD, Grant SFA, Polimanti R, Roussos P, Shakt G, Sun YV, Tsao N, Venkatesh S, Voloudakis G, Justice A, Begoli E, Ramoni R, Tourassi G, Pyarajan S, Tsao P, O'Donnell CJ, Muralidhar S, Moser J, Casas JP, Bick AG, Zhou W, Cai T, Voight BF, Cho K, Gaziano JM, Madduri RK, Damrauer S, Liao KP

Science July 2024

Bringing equity to genomic sequencing in newborns: BabySeq 2.0

Boston Children's Hospital |

October 2023

Press

Read about how the second iteration of The BabySeq Project, BabySeq 2.0, is striving to make genome sequencing accessible to a diverse population of newborns at Boston Children’s Hospital and other sites around the country. Ingrid Holm, MD, MPH who co-leads BabySeq 2.0 describes how seeking input from a Community Advisory Board from each participating … Continued

Newborn Screening and Genomics with Robert C. Green, MD, MPH

Ambry Genetics |

August 2023

Video

In this webinar Dr. Green explores the path towards a more personalized and preventive approach to medicine. He draws on insights gained from the MedSeq and BabySeq projects led by the Genomes2People Research Program (G2P).

Precision screening for health equity

Medium |

June 2023

G2P Blog

“Addressing stark, deeply-rooted racial disparities in healthcare has to be a priority for medical research. PRS might be one tool to improve disease screening and move us beyond race-based medical decision-making and toward more equitable health outcomes.”

A meaningful and personal career transition

Brigham Clinical & Research News |

May 2023

G2P News

Shaye Williams, G2P’s operation coordinator and diversity, equity, and inclusion lead, shares the story of her career transition into genomics research. After being introduced to genetic counseling as a prenatal patient, Shaye pursued an internship with G2P to learn more about the profession.

An ethical framework for research using genetic ancestry

Lewis ACF, Molina SJ, Appelbaum PS, Dauda B, Fuentes A, Fullerton SM, Garrison NA, Ghosh N, Green RC, Hammonds EM, Jeff JM, Jones DS, Kenny EE, Kraft P, Mauro M, Ori APS, Panofsky A, Sohail M, Neale BM, Allen DS

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine May 2023

Primary care physician use of patient race and polygenic risk scores in medical decision-making

Kerman BJ, Brunette CA, Harris EJ, Antwi AA, Lemke AA, Vassy JL

Genetics in Medicine February 2023

Awareness and utilization of genetic testing among Hispanic and Latino adults living in the US: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Christensen KD, Zhang M, Galbraith LN, Granot-Hershkovitz E, Nelson SC, Gonzalez S, Argos M, Perreira KM, Daviglus ML, Isasi CR, Cai J, Talavera GA, Blout Zawatsky CL, Green RC, Isasi R, Kaplan R, Sofer T

Human Genetics and Genomics Advances January 2023

Ancestry: How researchers use it and what they mean by it

Dauda B, Molina SJ, Allen DS, Fuentes A, Ghosh N, Mauro M, Neale BM, Panofsky A, Sohail M, Zhang SR, Lewis ACF

Frontiers in Genetics January 2023

Making genomics as diverse as humanity

Medium |

November 2022

G2P Blog

The lack of diversity in genomic research may be a call to fundamentally change the research enterprise.

Unlocking a cosmos of diversity within the profession of genetic counseling

Medium |

April 2022

G2P Blog

Reaping the full benefits of personalized medicine requires a cadre of genetic counselors as diverse as our patients. We’re working on it.

Sequencing every newborn’s genome to detect diseases faces ethical and practical obstacles, but the United Kingdom is pushing ahead with a major test

Science |

September 2021

Press

Genomic testing for Baby Cora, a participant of The BabySeq Project, revealed a disorder that might otherwise have gone undetected through traditional newborn screening. “Cora’s case illustrates the promise of sequencing the entire genomes of newborns: uncovering a bounty of genetic information that could identify infants needing treatment and improve health later in life…Genomics England … Continued

G2P Newsletter February 2021

February 2021

G2P News

Winter saw accomplishments by G2P team members through numerous projects, presentations and publications. Following the release of the NOVA documentary “Secrets in our DNA,” G2P Director Dr. Green spoke on a panel about genetics, ancestry, race and privacy issues. In December, G2P’s Carrie Blout and G2V’s Jason Vassy presented on pressing legal and policy issues … Continued

G2P Newsletter October 2020

October 2020

G2P News

Over the past few months, G2P faculty have attended numerous virtual conferences, been featured in the news and media, and contributed to studies involving the role of genetics in COVID-19. Many of our presentations are transitioning to a virtual format and shared on YouTube for all to view; make sure to check out our presentations … Continued

Race, ancestry, and representation: The role of genetic medicine

Medium |

September 2020

G2P Blog

Race is a social construct, but representation matters in genetic studies — and on that front, we have a long way to go. By Tala Berro, MS, CGC

Multiple GYPB gene deletions associated with the U− phenotype in those of African Ancestry

Lane WJ, Gleadall NS, Aechlimann J, Vege S, Sanchis-Juan A, Stephens J, Sullivan JC, Mah HH, Aguad M, Smeland-Wagman R, Lebo MS, Kumar PKV, Kaufman RM, Green RC, Ouwehand WH, Westhoff CM

Transfusion | PMID: 32473076 May 2020

Creation and utility of “Boston Minority Genetic Counselors’

Berro T, Amir F, Chan-Smutko G, Lawrence J, Channaoui N

Journal of Genetic Counseling February 2020

G2P Newsletter June 2019

June 2019

G2P News

G2P’s summer began with our team members participating in the Boston Athletic Association 10K on Sunday June 23rd! Over the past few months, G2P faculty have attended numerous conferences nationwide, been featured in podcasts discussing the new preventive genomics clinic, and engaged with leaders in science, business, and industry in support of the Franca Fund.

Guest post: We can do better – The experience of a minority genetic counselor

DNA Exchange |

April 2019

G2P Blog

Tala Berro, MS, LCGC writes about her experiences as a minority genetic counselor during her training and clinical rotations. Berro shares, “To my fellow genetic counselors, I propose the following version of the golden rule: treat your peers as you treat your patients”.

G2P Newsletter March 2019

March 2019

G2P News

Spring saw accomplishments by team members through numerous projects. G2P officially kicked-off the PeopleSeq consortium in Boston this January! Our very own, Carrie Blout, MS, CGC, was one of 86 Partner’s individuals awarded the Partners In Excellence Award.

Racial minority group interest in direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Findings from the PGen study

Landry L, Nielsen DE, Carere DA, Roberts JS, Green RC.

Journal of Community Genetics September 2017

Aggregate penetrance of genomic variants for actionable disorders in European and African Americans

Natarajan P, Gold NB, Bick AG, McLaughlin H, Kraft P, Rehm HL, Peloso GM, Wilson JG, Correa A, Seidman JG, Seidman CE, Kathiresan S, Green RC

Science Translational Medicine | PMID: 27831900 November 2016

Global and local ancestry in African Americans: Implications for Alzheimer’s disease risk

Hohman TJ, Cooke-Bailey JN, Reitz C, Jun G, Naj A, Beecham GW, Liu Z, Carney RM, Vance JM, Cuccaro ML, Rajbhandary R, Vardarajan BN, Wang L-S, Valladares O, Lin C-F, Larson EB, Graff-Radford NR, Evans D, De Jager PL, Crane PK, Buxbaum JD, Murrell JR, Raj T, Ertekin-Taner N, Logue MW, Baldwin CT, Green RC, Barnes LL, Cantwell LB, Fallin MD, Go RCP, Griffith P, Obisesan TO, Manly JJ, Lunetta KL, Kamboh MI, Lopez OL, Bennett DA, Hardy J, Hendrie HC, Hall KS, Goate AM, Lang R, Byrd GS, Kukull WA, Foroud TM, Farrer LA, Martin ER, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Haines JL, Thornton-Wells TA

Alzheimer's & Dementia March 2016

Association of long runs of homozygosity with Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans

Ghani M, Reitz C, Cheng R, … Green RC, …Schellenberg GD, St. George-Hyslop P, Mayeux R, Rogaeva E

JAMA Neurology December 2015

Variants in the ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCA7), apolipoprotein E ϵ4, and the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease in African Americans

Reitz C, Jun G, Naj A, Rajbhandary R, Vardarajan BN, Wang LS, Valladares O, Lin CF, Larson EB, Graff-Radford NR, Evans D, De Jager PL, Crane PK, Buxbaum JD, Murrell JR, Raj T, Ertekin-Taner N, Logue M, Baldwin CT, Green RC, Barnes LL, Cantwell LB, Fallin MD, Go RC, Griffith P, Obisesan TO, Manly JJ, Lunetta KL, Kamboh MI, Lopez OL, Bennett DA, Hendrie H, Hall KS, Goate AM, Byrd GS, Kukull WA, Foroud TM, Haines JL, Farrer LA, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R

Journal of American Medical Association April 2013

A comprehensive genetic association study of Alzheimer disease in African Americans

Logue MW, Schu M, Vardarajan BN, Buros J, Green RC, Go RCP, Griffith P, Obisesan TO, Shatz R, Borenstein A, Cupples A, Lunetta KL, Fallin MD, Baldwin CT, Farrer LA, for the Multi-Institutional Research on Alzheimer Genetic Epidemiology (MIRAGE) Study Group.

Clinical Trials December 2011

Differences between African American and white research volunteers in their attitudes, beliefs and knowledge regarding genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease

Akinleye D, Roberts JS, Royal CDM, Linnenbringer E, Obisesan T, Gasaye, G-A, Green RC.

Journal of Genetic Counseling June 2011

Non-adherence to guidelines for genetic testing in families with ovarian cancer shows racial bias

G2P 2024 Year in Review

Preferences of parents from diverse backgrounds on genomic screening of apparently healthy newborns

BabySeq Project Finds Similar Rates of Genetic Risk Variants Across Diverse Groups

Defining and pursuing diversity in human genetic studies

Diversity and scale: Genetic architecture of 2068 traits in the VA Million Veteran Program

Bringing equity to genomic sequencing in newborns: BabySeq 2.0

Newborn Screening and Genomics with Robert C. Green, MD, MPH

Precision screening for health equity

A meaningful and personal career transition

An ethical framework for research using genetic ancestry

Primary care physician use of patient race and polygenic risk scores in medical decision-making

Awareness and utilization of genetic testing among Hispanic and Latino adults living in the US: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Ancestry: How researchers use it and what they mean by it

Making genomics as diverse as humanity

Unlocking a cosmos of diversity within the profession of genetic counseling

Sequencing every newborn’s genome to detect diseases faces ethical and practical obstacles, but the United Kingdom is pushing ahead with a major test

G2P Newsletter February 2021

G2P Newsletter October 2020

Race, ancestry, and representation: The role of genetic medicine

Multiple GYPB gene deletions associated with the U− phenotype in those of African Ancestry

Creation and utility of “Boston Minority Genetic Counselors’

G2P Newsletter June 2019

Guest post: We can do better – The experience of a minority genetic counselor

G2P Newsletter March 2019

Racial minority group interest in direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Findings from the PGen study

Aggregate penetrance of genomic variants for actionable disorders in European and African Americans

Global and local ancestry in African Americans: Implications for Alzheimer’s disease risk

Association of long runs of homozygosity with Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans

Variants in the ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCA7), apolipoprotein E ϵ4, and the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease in African Americans

A comprehensive genetic association study of Alzheimer disease in African Americans

Differences between African American and white research volunteers in their attitudes, beliefs and knowledge regarding genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease

Differences between African Americans and whites in their attitudes toward genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease

Comparison of Alzheimer’s disease risk factors in white and African American families

Differences between African Americans and whites in their perceptions of Alzheimer disease

Association between Apolipoprotein E genotype and Alzheimer disease in African American subjects

Risk of dementia among white and African American relatives of patients with Alzheimer disease

An analysis of test bias due to race on the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale

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