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Keck School of Medicine of USC

Center for Genetic Epidemiology

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About the Center

Building on USC’s reputation as a leader in genome science, the Keck School of Medicine of USC established the Center for Genetic Epidemiology in 2016. The Center’s team includes geneticists who are leading the way to better understanding the role of genetic factors in health and disease.

USC cancer research tower exterior

Our Mission

The mission of the center is to provide a rich collaborative environment for research and training in genetic epidemiology.

Research in the center is focused on the tenets of genetic epidemiology, which includes:

  • Identifying genetic factors underlying complex traits and diseases
  • Understanding the interaction of genetic factors with the environment
  • Investigating the evolutionary consequences of human history leading to present-day diseases and disparity
  • Developing cutting-edge statistical and evolutionary models to advance medical genetic research.

The center’s members study racial and ethnically varied populations and the role of inherited susceptibility to explain disparities in disease risk. By emphasizing and incorporating population genetic insights from a variety of non-European populations, we will improve our understanding of disease biology, risk predictions in underserved populations and, more importantly, broaden the translational impact of genomic medicine on human health.

The center resides within the Division of Epidemiology and Genetics in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and is located at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Faculty recruitment in the center is underway to identify up-and-coming stars in the field who support the Keck School’s initiatives in genome research and precision medicine.

Research

Major research goals of the Center for Genetic Epidemiology include:

  • Defining the role of genetic factors in the etiology of complex diseases and traits, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, across racial and ethnic populations
  • Developing new, large multiethnic population-based resources for genetic epidemiologic research, including large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and next-generation sequencing studies for cancer and other complex traits
Research
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Additional Research Information

Training & Education

Students with research interests aligned with the Center for Genetic Epidemiology are encouraged to seek out an appropriate faculty member for joining their research. There are opportunities for training and mentorship for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students in genetic epidemiology principles, methods, analysis and application. For postdoctoral scientists, there is a T32 postdoctoral training program focused on ethnic disparities in cancer.

Learn More

Center Director

We interrogate the genetic basis of disease, which can translate to early detection and prevention of disease and reducing health disparities to the varied populations in our community.

Christopher Haiman, ScD
Director, Center for Genetic Epidemiology
Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences
AFLAC Chair in Cancer Research
Christopher Haiman

Associate Director

I am a medical population geneticist focused on understanding how the evolutionary forces, specifically demographic history and natural selection, shaped the genetic architecture of complex traits within and between human populations.

Charleston Chiang, PhD
Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences
Charleston Chiang

Contact Us

Visit the Center for Genetic Epidemiology

1450 Biggy Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033

Program Managaer

Amanda Klitgaard

(323) 442-7980

Assistant Research Administrator

Kimberly Louie

(323) 442-3930