Research Interests

I am interested in ways to employ genomic information to gain global views of biological processes. As a geneticist, I have developed tools for dissecting simple and complex inherited traits and have applied them to problems of medical and general interest. As a genomicist involved in the Human Genome Project, my laboratory has worked on the construction of genetic, physical, and sequence maps of the human, mouse, and rat genomes, providing landmarks to trace inheritance of genes to particular chromosomal regions and reagents to isolate the genes themselves. We have also developed laboratory, mathematical, and computational methodologies for studying polygenic traits, as well as approaches to using the information inherent in the population genetics of isolated human populations to map traits. We have applied these approaches to the genetic analysis of a range of polygenic traits, including susceptibility to cancer, type I and type II diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and renal failure in humans, mice, and rats. We have also used them to study mammalian development, including such problems as neural development and limb development. (Note: I am currently on leave as White House Science Advisor.)

Membership Type

Member

Election Year

1997

Primary Section

Section 41: Medical Genetics, Hematology, and Oncology

Secondary Section

Section 26: Genetics