PIGE: The Program Integrating Genomics and the Environment

Wayne State University, Detroit MI

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the Program Integrating Genomics and Exposures (PIGE) between Wayne State University (WSU) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is to bridge the disciplines of exposure science and genetic epidemiology/genomics, two scientific areas with significant impact on public health, by providing a training program to develop the next generation of scientific researchers. In general, the PIGE training paradigm offers a unique opportunity to prepare students to work at the boundary of intrinsic (i.e. genetic) and extrinsic (i.e. environmental) risk factors. The need for the next generation of scientists to integrate and process data from two historically disparate fields is vitally needed. As observed across multiple diseases and traits, individuals react differently to exposures, likely mediated by intrinsic factors such as genetic variation. The human exposome is diverse and dynamic in time and space, posing important challenges to assessing risk. As molecular fingerprints of vulnerability and resilience to environmental insults are measurable by genomic assays that capture a portion of the missing heritability, genomics, serves as the interface between intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Preparing students to do research at the Gene-Environment interface will provide unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding of chronic disease. Here lies the crux, rapid evolution of genomic technology, newly developed statistical methods, and ever-changing chemical exposures has created silos of expertise without the necessary scientific fluency to connect the disciplines. Recognition of this insufficiency demands the need to train a new generation of scientists who can solve next-generation problems. Several key features of the PIGE training will produce these next generation researcher: 1) students will be trained to define and measure key environmental variables; 2) students will be trained to assess the role of genomic variation in disease risk; and 3) most importantly they will be taught how to model the interplay of genes and environment as factors that can act simultaneously and non-linearly to affect disease risk. Students will enroll in courses at both WSU and CWRU to obtain credit for their PhD degrees. A key feature of the PIGE will be the collection and analyses of Big Data in both environmental science and genomics. This will be accomplished by providing a rigorous and broad set of coursework establishing the foundation for studies in exposure science and genetic epidemiology/genomics that focus on study design and exposure assessment. Coursework in genetics and genomics will also be extensive, emphasizing strong analytical skills and incorporating novel analytical methods. The coursework will be bolstered by a mandated research experience where scientific mentors from each PIGE site, and academic discipline, will be engaged to develop dissertation topics and develop pre-doctoral grant submissions, i.e., F31 applications. In this way both theoretical and real-world experience will be gained, resulting in a rare group of trainees who are equally fluent in both fields. This program is designed to train truly transdisciplinary researchers who can move our understanding of disease etiology beyond nature OR nurture to nature AND nurture.