Precision Health

This research area focuses on tailoring medical treatment to the individual characteristics of a patient by taking into consideration the complex interplay between an individual’s genetics, environment, socioeconomic and health status. The cluster targets the development and application of precision health research that will enable a new era of health and wellness through genomics research, clinical translation and bioinformatics.


Research Needs

50%

PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS IN NORTH CAROLINA ATTRIBUTED TO CANCER, HEART DISEASE AND STROKE

16th

NATIONAL RANKING FOR NORTH CAROLINA’S OBESITY RATE, LEADING TO INCREASES IN INSTANCES OF CANCER, HEART DISEASE AND STROKE

PRECISION MEDICINE RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE BETTER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT INFORMATION TO ADDRESS KEY HEALTH CONCERNS IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Short Term Goals

  • Utilize -omics based research approaches — including genomics, epigenomics, pharmacogenomics, metabolomics, proteomics and exposomics — to help explain the causes of health disparities
  • Establish a robust, crosscutting and participatory precision medicine research seminar series
  • Establish a biorepository to facilitate research needs at ECU

Long Term Goals

  • Expand precision medicine infrastructure at ECU, including a large-scale biobank linked to a health data warehouse
  • Establish collaborations and target new funding opportunities for precision medicine research at ECU


Research Approaches

  • Use knowledge gained from -omics based research approaches to inform prevention and treatment strategies to address health disparities in eastern North Carolina
  • Utilize big data and bioinformatics approaches to merge electronic health records and biospecimens to genomic data
  • Identify pharmacogenomic targets that will better predict patient response to treatment in clinical trials and daily medical practice

News

 


Picture of David Collier
David Collier
Co-director Precision Health
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