Genetics and Genomics
This module covers the theory and practice of modern genetics. It is designed to provide biologists with the foundations upon which statistical genetics is built, and/or an introduction to the concepts of classical and contemporary genetics for statisticians and informaticians. It consists of ten 90-minute lectures.
The module starts with the key concepts of quantitative and Mendelian genetics and then illustrates how these have been reconciled with molecular biology. Three half-days are then spent on the basics of genome-wide association mapping as well as exome and whole genome sequencing; on evolutionary and population genetics particularly as they pertain to human biology; and on gene expression profiling and integrative genomics leading to systems biology, also touching on personalized medicine.
Learning Objectives: After attending this module, participants will be able to:
- Understand the difference between heritability and inheritance.
- Distinguish between mutations and polymorphisms, and explain how different classes of genetic variants contribute to phenotypic variation.
- Appreciate how genome sequencing, gene expression profiling, and cutting-edge genomics technologies are being used in contemporary medicine, agriculture, and ecology to understand and predict phenotypes.
- Know the basic contributions of mutation, migration, drift and natural selection to the evolution of populations, specifically to divergence among human groups.
- Take additional modules in the Summer Institute having a solid foundation of the fundamentals of statistical genetics.
Course Dates
- Wed May 28, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST
- Thu May 29, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST
- Fri May 30, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST
Instructors
- Greg Gibson
- Joanne Cole
Suggested Course Pairings
Integrative Genomics Stream
- Module IG1: Microbiome and Metabolome
- Module IG2: Epigenetics and Gene Regulation
- Module IG3: Gene Expression
- Module IG4: Gene Networks and Pathways
Course Materials
Please email sisg@biosci.gatech.edu for access.
About the Instructors
Greg Gibson is Regents Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech. His group conducts research on genomic approaches to biomedical genetics with particular emphasis on transcriptomics for personalized medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Sickle Cell Disease. He is also interested in the theory of canalization and biological robustness, and the applications of genomics for precision and personalized medicine. Learn more about Greg’s work here.
Joanne Cole is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Her research team is part of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine where she is particularly interested in the genetic basis of dietary preferences. Her interests include computational genomics, human genetics, nutrition, metabolomics and epidemiology. Learn more about Joanne’s work here.