We advance precision medicine in populations traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research.

illustration of dots emerging from a capsule forming a helix then the shape of a human figure mixed with atomic symbols and other sciencey shapes.
Jennifer Elhawary

The UC San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Genes, Environment, and Health (CGEH) is bridging the gap between precision medicine and diverse populations.

The data driving precision medicine are heavily biased towards European ancestry populations. African Americans and Latinos comprise more than 30% of the U.S. population yet represent only 2% and 0.5% of modern genetic studies, respectively. Genetic disparities like this, combined with disparities in socio-economic and/or health care delivery factors, are likely to cause persistent gaps in our ability to apply precision medicine tools to diverse populations. As such, it is the mission of CGEH to advance precision medicine in populations traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research.

The center is a joint venture between the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS) and the Department of Medicine. BTS is a joint department of the UCSF Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine. The Department of Medicine is a department of the UCSF School of Medicine.

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