Preparing public health and social science researchers for empirical research involving human genetics

Empirical research since the completion of the Human Genome Project has highlighted the complex nature of health and behavior, even as technology has made it possible to identify genetic variants associated with common traits and behaviors more easily. As more genetic changes are identified and associated with complex traits and diseases, there is an opportunity to incorporate those data into public health and social science research more broadly. Genetics is moving personal and public health toward prevention- based paradigms, for which behavior change is often the most effective intervention. Engaging effectively in prevention-based and other types of research necessitates a transdisciplinary team including experts in genetics and public health. To participate in such teams the public health professional needs to appreciate genetics methods to evaluate the utility of genetics-based studies and generate new research questions that incorporate the resulting data but not be an expert in the field. The National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, with support from the NIH, has developed a web-based educational program in genetics for social and behavioral science (SBS) researchers. The goals of this program are to increase genetics knowledge to improve genetics literacy and expand the research imagination of social scientists. This presentation will introduce the program and its conceptual outline, developed during discussions with geneticists and SBS researchers. The core concepts include essential overarching themes of variation, gene-environment interplay, evaluating genetics research, and the impact of social and behavioral science methods and perspectives on genetics research.