The Section of Genetic Medicine was created in May 2005 to both build research infrastructure in genetics within the Department of Medicine and to focus translational efforts related to genetics. I am proud to have been chosen to lead this new section. My expertise is in quantitative human genetics with a long-standing research program focused on understanding the genetic component to complex phenotypes, including diabetes (MODY, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes), asthma and related phenotypes, psychiatric disorders (autism, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, Tourette’s Syndrome, and schizophrenia) and speech disorders such as stuttering. Yves Lussier M.D., a talented physician scientist with substantial expertise in medical informatics and bioinformatics, joined the section in January 2006 and is already building his research program. Among his research interests are systems medicine and phenomics. In the summer of 2006, two new faculty will join our section with diverse but complementary research interests in genetic and genomic science.

Among the first of the initiatives in which the Section of Genetic Medicine has contributed in is beginning the Translational Research Initiative of the Department of Medicine (TRIDOM ) sample collections. Protocols have been approved for sample collections in Department of Medicine outpatient clinics, and initial efforts are underway in several of the clinics to collect samples. The early efforts have been very rewarding – nearly 70% of patients offered the opportunity to participate in the studies have agreed to do so! If we can continue to achieve high participation rates as we increase the number of clinics in which samples are collected, we will indeed have a very rich sample resource for Department of Medicine scientists to tap for their research needs. Look for more information about TRIDOM protocols and other resources available through the Section of Genetic Medicine on this website in the future.