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Genetics of Complex Human Diseases
Center: Center for Genetic Medicine, NUgene
Mission
Complex human diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases and obesity result from complex interactions between multiple genes and the environment. Unraveling the genetic basis of complex diseases is an important goal for biomedical research. This problem represents an example of complexity of the highest order. It is estimated that there may be more than 10 million common genetic variants within the approximately 30,000 genes in the human genome. Our mission is to capitalize on the diverse Chicago population to begin to define the genetic basis of complex disease. This work requires an interdisciplinary approach that requires the participation of clinicians, basic scientists, population-based investigators, statisticians, bioinformatics researchers and sophisticated technology. We are working to develop crucial infrastructure that includes detailed phenotypic characterization in conjunction with access to DNA samples for over 100,000 individuals through the NUgene project. This rich collection together with the clinical, epidemiological, genetics and statistical expertise available at Northwestern provides a unique opportunity to apply principles of complexity studies to a critical issue of human health.
Faculty
Mark Alberts, Neurology
m-alberts@northwestern.edu
www.cgm.northwestern.edu/faculty%20bios/alberts.htm
Genetic susceptibility factors and mechanisms that cause strokes
Rex L. Chisholm, Cell and Molecular Biology (Director)
r-chisholm@northwestern.edu
http://nugene.org
www.cgm.northwestern.edu
http://dicty.cmb.northwestern.edu/chisholm
Development of large human cohorts for the study of complex disease; computational methods for data mining of electronic medical records
Alok Choudhary, Electrical and Computer Engineering
choudhar@ece.northwestern.edu
www.ece.northwestern.edu/~choudhar
High performance computing, data warehousing and data mining
Phil Greenland, Dept. of Preventive Medicine
p-greenland@northwestern.edu
www.preventivemedicine.northwestern.edu/greenland.htm
Epidemiological studies of risk factors for cardiovascular disease; prevention of cardiovascular disease
Spencer Huang, Preventive Medicine
huangcc@northwestern.edu
www.preventivemedicine.northwestern.edu/huang.htm
Developing novel data mining techniques to identify inherent patterns and associations between expression profiling and patients' phenotype
J. Larry Jameson, Medicine
ljameson@northwestern.edu
www.jamesonlab.northwestern.edu
Genetic endocrine diseases and oncogene mutations in endocrine tumors; Regulatory DNA elements and transcription factors in the gonadotropin genes; Regulation of gonadotropin gene expression by GnRH, activin, and inhibin; Thyroid hormone action and pathophysiology of thyroid hormone resistance
Bill Lowe, Medicine
wlowe@northwestern.edu
www.medicine.northwestern.edu/divisions/endocrinology/info/bio/wlowe.html
Regulation of islet cell growth and apoptosis; Embryonic stem cells and pancreatic islets; Islet cell transplantation ; Molecular genetics of type 2 and gestational diabetes, obesity, and birthweight
Teepu Siddique, Neurology
t-siddique@northwestern.edu
www.northwestern.edu/nuin/faculty/Siddique_T/
molecular basis of neurodegeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Margarit Urbanek, Medicine
m-urbanek@northwestern.edu
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/~igp/facindex/UrbanekM.html
susceptibility genes for complex diseases
Ji-Ping Wang, Statistics
jzwang@northwestern.edu
http://bioinfo.stats.northwestern.edu/jzwang
statistical analysis of gene variation
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