"We are poised to make exceptional contributions to cancer research and expand knowledge of disease diversity." ~ Dr. Melissa Davis, ITGM Director
Institute Goals
The goals of the ITGM are two-fold; to provide genomic research capacity to MSM researchers across the existing research centers and institutes, and to provide leadership and increase our knowledge of genetic variation across the African diaspora and its impact on heath and disease.
Five-Year Plan
- Year 1: Includes establishment of AC core leadership and specialty teams, the initialization
of installation and optimization of internal pipeline for analytical needs, establishment
of the first 2-year term EAB, first NYGC workshop, initial data repository. Projects
will complete 15-20% of data generation in preliminary findings. Community education
events will be established and fellowship recruitment for summer programs.
- Year 2: Includes initial genomics certification ( 3-course program), scaffold for repositories
will be complete and ready for real-tim depository, initial landmark papers are expected
from each project, continuing data generation evaluations of all courses
- Year 3: Establishment of second EAB term, Web-based self-paced coursework online, project
2 will release new pangenomes for African Ancestry population, revamped community
education and pipeline activities initiated, second cohort of fellows will begin.
- Year 4: Third cohort of fellows will begin, project 1 will complete social determinants capture
for entire target cohort, data repositories will be completed, and second (revamped)
of 3-course genomics curriculum will be initiated.
- Year 5: Closing of all evaluations, summary publications, dissemination materials for health advocacy and interventions, established pipeline for best practices in disparities research for the African diaspora.
Administration
Cancer geneticist Dr. Melissa Davis serves as the inaugural ITGM director, in collaboration with associate director Dr. Robert Meller. A leader in transformative research, patient advocacy, and global health equity, Dr. Davis is a Distinguished Investigator with the Georgia Research Alliance. She also serves as Scientific Director of the International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes (ICSBCS), Interim Director of Health Equity for the Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, and Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, NY. She is also a Cancer Ethnicity Scholar, co-leading the PolyEthnic-1000 project at the New York Genome Center.
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| Dr. Melissa Davis, PhD Director, MSM Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine (ITGM) |
Dr. Robert Meller, D.Phil. BSc |