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Human Molecular Genetics Program

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The Human Molecular Genetics Program is a center of translational genetic medicine, with innovative basic science generating new routes to therapy for inherited diseases.

Our translational research themes include novel therapeutic approaches to inherited neuromuscular diseases, such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), genetic lung diseases, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and eye tumors, specifically Retinoblastoma (RB). Together SMA and CF are the most common genetic diseases in North American and European populations. RB is the most common pediatric cancer of the eye.

Our basic research, which will ultimately lead to a better understanding of pediatric disease and to new ways of treatment, focuses on several important topics: the regulation of gene expression; chromatin structure and modification in stem cells and differentiated cells (particularly in the testis, epididymis and the lung); microRNAs that are relevant to human disease; biomarkers of lung disease and signaling mechanisms in cancer.

We are also a dynamic program in Northwestern University’s Genetics and Genomics Training Cluster.

 

Program Members

Christine DiDonato, Ph.D.,

Ann Harris, Ph.D.

Michael Klüppel, Ph.D.

Nikia Laurie, Ph.D.

Hara Levy, M.D.

Christopher Payne, Ph.D.

 

Affiliated Members

Brad Angle, MD, Division of Genetics, Birth Defects, and Metabolism

Joel Charrow, MD, Division of Genetics, Birth Defects, and Metabolism

Pedram Gerami, MD, Division of Dermatology

Nina L. Gotteiner, MD, Division of Cardiology

Rajesh Kumar, MD, Division of Allergy and Immunology

Xin Liu, MD, PhD, Division of Child Health Research

Susanna McColley, MD, Division of Pulmonary Medicine

Elfriede Pahl, MD, Division of Cardiology

Bahram Rahmani, MD, Division of Ophthalmaology

Simone Treiger Sredni, MD, PhD, Division of Cancer Biology and Epigenomics

Debra Weese-Mayer, MD, Division of Autonomic Medicine

Janice Lasky Zeid, MD, Department of Ophthalmology