Day 1 - Tuesday, May 27
Public Health Genetics & Genomics: Learning From Our Past
Explore the foundations of public health genetics and genomics by learning about key milestones and breakthroughs that have shaped the field in the past and how it looks today!
The Legacy of Eugenics and the Responsibility of Public Health Genetics webinar
2 p.m. EST
Legacy of Eugenics - Join Zoom
Presented by Andrea Durst, assistant professor and vice chair for practice, Department of Human Genetics, associate director, Genetic Counseling Program, director, MPH in Public Health Genetics Program
- Andrea Durst
I have been a faculty member in the Department of Human Genetics since 2015. I am the director of the MPH in Public Health Genetics program and associate director of the Genetic Counseling program, where I participate in teaching, advising, essay/thesis mentoring, and practicum/rotation coordination. In 2018, I was honored to have been awarded the NSGC Audrey Heimler Special Project Award, which enabled me to increase awareness of public health genetics among genetic counseling students and early career professionals.
I have worked in several areas of public health genetics and genetic counseling focusing on cancer genetics, genetic literacy, improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field, and increasing access to genetic services. I work with the NHGRI Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics as part of the LGBTQI+ Issues in Genomics, am a member of the Genetic Counseling Program's DEI Committee, an AGCPD Task Force to look at factors impacting ABGC certification exam pass rates, and as an associate editor in genetic literacy for the Journal of Community Genetics.
Button Making
3-5 p.m. EST in the Public Health Commons
- Genetics Timeline
Click to open or read more below This timeline highlights key discoveries in genetics that have shaped how we understand health, disease and care across communities. By learning from our past, we can better understand today's tools and create a healthier future for everyone. Adapted from Public Health Genetics and Genomics Week materials from the NCC.
1866 - Gregor Mendel Describes Heredity
Experiments with pea plants showed that traits are passed down through clear, separate units. This showed that genes keep their own identity and don't blend when passed from parents to offspring.
1949 - Sickle cell anemia identified as the first molecular disease
Linus Pauling and his team showed that sickle cell anemia is caused by a changed form of hemoglobin protein. This was one of the first clues that diseases can be caused by changes in genes.
1953 - Discovery of DNA's Double Helix Structure
James Watson, Francis Crick, and Rosalind Franklin helped discover how the four bases in DNA are arranged. Franklin's X-ray pictures of DNA helped Watson and Crick discover that DNA has a double helix shape.
1963 - First Mandated Newborn Screening Program in the U.S.
Massachusetts launched the first mandatory newborn screening (NBS) program in the U.S., beginning with tests for a condition called PKU. By 1966, every state had its own NBS program.
1978 - Genetic Services Program Created at HRSA
The Genetic Services Program at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was started to help more people get genetic testing. It supports families, helps people stay healthy, and works to make sure these services are simple to get.
1983 - HRSA Launches Regional Genetics Network
HRSA created ten regional agencies networks and a national council to connect them. These networks help share resources, improve care, and make sure genetic services are available across the country.
1985 - PCR Developed
Kary Mullis developed PCR, a method that lets scientists make many copies of a piece of DNA quickly. This helped with things like finding gene changes, solving crimes, and testing for infections.
1986 - Genetic Alliance Founded
This group was started to help people and families with genetic conditions. Later, it became a strong voice in helping guide health rules and plans about genetics.
1990-2003 - Human Genome Project
An international collaborative effort begins to map and sequence the entire human genome, aiming to identify all human genes and understand their functions - paving the way for more avenues of biomedical research.
1993 - CDC establishes office of genomics and disease prevention*
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started the Office of Genetics and Disease Prevention to lead efforts across the country to bring genomics into public health. This office helps guide research, shape policies, and improve health programs using genetic information.
*decommissioned in 2025
2003 - Advisory group formed to guide newborn genetic screening*
The U.S. government created a group called Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC) to give advice on genetic conditions found in babies and children. This group helps decide which conditions should be checked for at birth and works to improve care for kids with these conditions.
*decommissioned in 2025
2004 - National Coordinating Center (NCC) and Regional Genetics Networks Established*
The NCC was created to support and unify the work of the seven regional genetics and newborn screening service collaboratives across the U.S.
*funding concluded in 2024
2010 - Recommended Uniform Screening Panel established
This panel sits under the U.S. ACHDNC and helps ensure that all states screen newborns for the same serious genetic conditions.
2012 - Discovery of the Crispr/Cas System
Crispr-Cas9 is a powerful gene-editing tool that allows scientists to precisely delete, insert, or modify specific segments of DNA. This is used to investigate how genetic changes contribute to disease, explore gene-condition relationships and advance the development of gene therapies.
2014 - CDC releases first Tier 1 genomic applications
The CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics published the first three Tier 1 applications. These are proven ways to use genetic information to improve health. They focus on conditions where early testing and action can save lives.
2018 - All of Us Research Program Launched
The National Institutes of Health started the All of Us program. It will collect health and genetic information from millions of people across the U.S. They want to include people who usually don't join research studies.
2020 - SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequenced
Scientists studied the virus that causes COVID-19 and figured out its genetic code. This helped them learn how the virus works and how to make tests, treatments and vaccines.
2023 - Gene therapies approved for sickle cell disease
FDA approves two gene therapies Casgevy (Crispr-based) and Lyfgenia (lentiviral-based) for the treatment and cure of sickle cell anemia.
Day 2 - Wednesday, May 28
Empowering Through Knowledge: Education in Public Health Genetics & Genomics
Education helps people understand genetics so they can make informed health choices and share knowledge in their communities. Explore educational programs related to this field and hear from current students regarding their educational experiences in the field, as well as working professionals in the field of genetic counseling.
Social Determinants of Health: A Framework for Delivering Equitable and Context-Specific Genomic Care Webinar
1 p.m. EST
Social Determinants - Join Webinar
Presented by Hannah Wand, director, preventative genomics program and Sharon Njeri, genetic counselor, Gene-Care Centre.
- Sharon Njeri
Sharon Njeri is a clinical geneticist in training and genetic counselor at Gene-Care Centre, a clinic she co-founded to improve access to genetic services in Kenya. She is passionate about public health genetics, making genomics more available in primary care, and shaping policy in East Africa. She has two years of clinical experience, a BSc in genomic science, and training from the NHS Genomics Education Program. She recently earned a master's in international public health from Liverpool John Moores University with a thesis on genetic counseling and testing in Africa. Njeri is active in the National Society of Genetic Counselors, contributes to several SIGs, and leads communications for the Human Genetics and Genomics Society of Kenya. She is also a member of ASHG and supports public education on genetics while advocating for the formal recognition of genetic counseling in Kenya.
- Hannah Wand
Hannah Wand is a cardiovascular genetic counselor at Stanford Health Care, with a specialty in preventative genomics and complex disease risk counseling. She has acted as program lead for Stanford Health Care's preventive genomics efforts and teaches the Stanford genetic counseling program's public health courses. She is a PhD candidate in translational health sciences at George Washington University, where she has a special focus on community-centered health care design. She has an interest in public health models for genetic counseling practice, and is the chair of NSGC's public health SIG.
Public Health Genetics Student Panel Webinar
7 p.m. EST
Public Health genetics students Alyssa Areola, Lauren Giles, Mireya Lopez-Jimenez, Ashtyn Heckart, Mackenzie Maggio, Diane Xue, and Betty Cohn taking questions and discussing their experiences in the field.
Educational Programs Resources
Day 3 - Thursday, May 29
Innovating for Impact: Public Health Genetics and Genomics in Action
See how public health programs are using genetics to prevent disease and improve lives, with a focus on research that includes and benefits people from all backgrounds, like the work being done by researchers working on the All of Us research study.
All of Us Research Program: Improving Health Through Large Cohorts, Genetics, and Precision Medicine
2 p.m. EST
Day 4 - Friday, May 30
The Future is Now: Current Research in Public Health Genetics & Genomics
Explore the newest research in public health genetics and genomics and how today's discoveries are helping shape a healthier future. Students and professional researchers are paving the way to new scientific knowledge!
Student and Career Researchers Panel Webinar
12:30-1:30 p.m. EST (students) and 2-3:30 p.m. EST (professionals)
Career Researchers Panel - Join Zoom
Panelists - Career Researchers
- Rachel Gur-Arie, assistant professor, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Arizona State University
- Darnell Davis, doctoral candidate, Howard University; founder, ViralLife Alert
- Emma Johnson
Emma Johnson is an assistant professor in psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine. She applies statistical genetics approaches to large-scale datasets and biobanks to improve our understanding of genomic and environmental contributions to substance use disorders and other mental and physical health conditions. She is currently supported by funding from NIDA and Hevolution/AFAR and is involved in several consortia, including the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Her undergraduate degree was in biostatistics from UNC Chapel Hill School of Public Health, so she has long been passionate about applying statistical methods to improve public health.
- Wenndy Hernandez, associate professor, Pitt Public Health
Student Researcher Speaker Panel - Join Zoom
Panelists - Student
- Puneet Chowdhary
Puneet Chowdhary is a dedicated researcher with a diverse academic background spanning chemistry, epidemiology, and molecular biology. She earned her MSc in analytical chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, India, before moving to the United States in 2001 to pursue her MS and PhD in chemistry at the University of Texas Dallas. Recognizing the importance of public health in scientific research, she later obtained an MPH in epidemiology from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI. Chowdhary's research began with P450 enzymes in quorum quenching, expanding to bioactive small signal molecules. She has expertise in chemical, biochemical, and molecular biology techniques and has worked on projects involving neurogenesis, neuroprotection, and wastewater-based pathogen detection. Through postdoctoral fellowships at Grand Valley State University, the University of Florida, and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, she has refined her skills in interdisciplinary research.
Currently, Puneet Chowdhary is engaged in research focusing on mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer, with a strong commitment to improving public health initiatives that enhance the quality of life for patients and caregivers. She seeks to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical health care solutions, advocating for accessible treatments, mental health support, and integrative care models that empower individuals affected by these conditions. With aspirations to publish her findings, she is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and health care policies that foster holistic well-being and improved patient outcomes. Beyond her scientific pursuits, she is a proud mother of two wonderful girls, an avid music lover and singer, and lives by the quotes, "There are no accidents." and "If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than who you are."
- Madeline Kurdziel
Madeline Kurdziel obtained a bachelor's degree in allied health sciences with a biology minor from Grand Valley State University and a master of public health with an emphasis in epidemiology, also from Grand Valley State University. She completed a practicum at Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) in Muskegon, MI, where she worked with the State of Michigan's BeachGuard data repository in addition to using gridMET weather data to explore E. coli concentration, precipitation, and temperature trends over time across inland and Great Lakes beaches in Michigan. She also gained experience in microbial genetics through the State of Michigan SARS-CoV-2 Epidemiology - Wastewater Evaluation and Reporting Network (SEWER). Another research project she completed evaluated online materials for metastatic breast cancer patients in the area of readability. She plans to publish both projects.
- Kenta Abe
Kenta Abe holds a bachelor of arts in intercultural communication from Hosei University, Japan, a master of technology in innovation for design and engineering (AI and data science) from Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology, Japan, and a master of public health in epidemiology from Grand Valley State University. During his MPH program, he completed a practicum at Van Andel Institute, where he worked on data analysis related to neurodegenerative disorders. His current interests include Parkinson's disease. He is writing a manuscript which focuses on genetic and environmental factors associated with Parkinson's disease for publication. He plans to obtain a job in public health epidemiology, and in the future, pursue a PhD in the field of health science in epidemiology.
- Kaitlyn Nowak
Kaitlyn Nowak is a master of science student with a concentration in genomics at the University of South Florida. Originally from Flower Mound, Texas, she earned her BS in biology with a minor in psychology while competing as a Division I beach volleyball athlete at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She currently conducts research in Monica Uddin's computational genomics lab, where she investigates how polygenic risk scores, sex, and socioeconomic factors influence the age of onset for major depressive disorder. Nowak is passionate about advancing research at the intersection of genetics, mental health, and public health equity.
- Hasan Abu-Amara