The Center for Precision Health designs and conducts research and demonstration projects focusing on the use of state-of-art informatics and analytics coupled with Electronic Health Record (EHR), phenotype and –omics data to advance precision health. The center works in close collaboration with researchers and physician scientists across UTHealth Houston and nationwide. The center is currently developing the following four immediate high priority research areas –
- Population-based Genomics for Precision Health will identify novel genes and biomarkers for disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Special emphasis will be placed on novel gene discovery and pharmacogenomics.
- Cancer Precision Medicine will develop and lead research projects utilizing high throughput technologies to identify actionable mutations so that appropriate molecular targeted therapies can be implemented. The CPH will develop cancer genomic and proteomic analytics projects using cancer -omics and related clinical data.
- Translational Bioinformatics programs will be developed at the CPH to translate the discoveries of genomic medicine and other studies to promote patient care. This will include pharmacogenomics to produce new drugs based on clinically relevant mutations, drug repositioning or repurposing and the precise prediction of drug side effects, among other foci.
- Smart Clinical Trials will be necessary to save costs, increase efficiency and take into account the characteristics of individual study participants. The CPH will conduct research on the design and implementation of smart clinical trials.
