Precision medicine approaches health from a holistic point of view. Advances in digital health and science are revolutionizing precision medicine with the potential to impact the entire spectrum of health care with the ultimate goal of delivering the most effective and efficient, value-based healthcare.
Precision medicine and genomics are transforming how we prevent, characterize, and identify therapies to treat diseases. Digital technology, computational health, and data science have massively increased our access to data regarding human health, providing a detailed understanding of human interactions on their health. Research in this area allows us to make better inferences about disease causality. The disruptive impact of these advances will not just be limited to oncology; they will soon revolutionize Precision Health. The datasets containing patients’ lifestyle, environment, and medical history will span the entire spectrum of health care from wellness and prevention to precision screening, and diagnostics and therapeutics.
We will continue to invest in the cornerstones of this focus area: people, data services, cyber-infrastructure, and security and networking. Such investment will position our enterprise to continue its relevancy as a player in discovery, education, and care delivery in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big Data empowered Precision Health.
The following programs, projects, and partnerships are examples of how we are accomplishing this research focus area’s mission:
- Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI) is funded by the state of Alabama and provides genomic testing, interpretation, and counseling free of charge to Alabama residents with a goal to engage at least 10,000 Alabamians in genetic testing, while educating the participants about their genomic health.
- Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI) aims to enhance the delivery of precision medicine by assembling and supporting UAB researchers and clinicians in an interdisciplinary program aimed at discovering and applying new knowledge in order to better treat patients with complex diseases.
- All of Us Research Program is supported by the National Institutes of Health with the goal of accelerating health research and medical breakthroughs and enabling individualized prevention. The program will oversample a wide range of communities with different health factors in biomedical research to make the dataset the most robust and all-encompassing resource that will aid in life-changing health discoveries.
- Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building is a state-of-the-art facility that will help cement our reputation as a leading research institution in genomic and precision medicine.
- Informatics Institute comprises core and affiliated faculty and staff with expertise across the biomedical informatics spectrum. It helps bring data together to synthesize new knowledge and develop personalized medicine, improve the delivery of health care, and help us understand health challenges facing the state and the nation.
- Marnix Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation aims to dramatically increase the pace of innovation and entrepreneurship in health care to combat high costs, unequal access, and poor quality of care.
Task Force Members
Ralph Zottola, Ph.D - Co-Lead, UAB Research Computing
Javier Neyra, M.D. - Co-Lead, Department of Medicine/Nephrology
Matt Might, Ph.D - Department of Medicine/GIM
James Cimino, M.D. - Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Merry-Lynn McDonald, Ph.D - Department of Medicine/PACCM
Suzanne Lapi, Ph.D - Department of Radiology
Carlos Cardenas, Ph.D - Department of Radiation Oncology
Craig Mackinnon, M.D., Ph.D - Department of Pathology
Tiago Colicchio, Ph.D - Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Annual Updates