I have pursued research in pharmacogenomics over the past twenty years, first with a focus on molecular genetics of target genes, and then increasingly broadening into a genomics approach, including chemogenomics and systems biology. My research focuses on genetic variability in drug response and disease risk. We study regulatory polymorphisms that affect gene expression, RNA processing, and translation, playing a main role in inter-individual differences in disease and therapy. Since 2002 at OSU College of Medicine, I have developed a Center for Pharmacogenomics, tying together multiple research groups at OSU and beyond. Previously support by an NIH GMS U01 project “Regulatory variants in Drug Therapy”, under the umbrella of the Pharmacogenomics Research Network, has fostered functional genomics core laboratory with next-gen sequencing, collaborations in bioinformatics, mathematical modeling, and clinical sciences. I anticipate that genomic medicine and in particular pharmacogenomics is at the cusp of taking a quantum leap towards clinical implementation, because the tools available to us have expanded dramatically. More recently through a growing collaboration with Dr. Schlesinger and the Center of Microbial Interface Biology, my group has developed an extensive research program to understand the genomics of M.tb infection of human macrophages, with focus on the innate immune system – containing numerous genes under strong evolutionary selection and targets of numerous drugs, in a broad spectrum of disorders. A further personal goal is to translate our results into robust biomarker panels predictive of drug response, with much potential to advance personalized therapeutics, and thereby, improve therapy of complex disorders with tangible benefits to society. | Felts Mercer Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Director, Center for Pharmacogenomics College of Medicine Department of Molecular Immunology, Virology, and Medical Genetics Complete List of Published Work College of Medicine Center for Pharmacogenomics |