Events

Our new Center’s first national workshop: “Enhancing Capacity to Study Gene-Environment Interactions in Complex Traits: Implications for Health Disparities.” More

Our Mission

The Harvard/MGH Center for Genomics, Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities is a newly formed research center dedicated to conducting research on the complex intersections of emerging genetics research and the persistent problem of health disparities in order to fully leverage the potential of genomics research to improve population health and reduce health disparities.

About the Center

Our research focuses on several highly prevalent chronic diseases, (e.g., smoking, asthma) where genomic advances in treatment and prevention have the greatest potential to improve our nation’s health, and reduce existing health disparities.

We also conduct broader studies investigating challenges to integrating new genetic-based treatments and interventions into clinical practice, including how providers interpret information about racial differences in the frequency of clinically relevant alleles, primary care providers’ preparedness to provide genetics services, consumers’ willingness to undergo genetic testing, and coverage and financing issues.

One of the core initiatives of the Center will be to monitor the diffusion of genetic-based interventions and treatments through private and public systems of care, identify potential differences in access to these new interventions among key patient populations (e.g., Medicaid, minority, underserved populations), and assess the impact of such differential access on the “disparities gap.”

The Center is a joint initiative of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners Healthcare. Institutionally, it is housed in the University’s Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy.

Center faculty hold appointments in Harvard Medical School’s Department of Medicine and the MGH Division of General Medicine. Center faculty represent diverse disciplines, including health policy, economics, genomics, sociology, and medicine.

Center Leadership

The Center is directed by Alexandra Shields, PhD Dr. Shields has more than 15 years experience working on issues related to access to health care for low-income and uninsured individuals, in both government and academic settings. Dr. Shields’ principal research interests include issues related to the quality of care provided to underserved populations, health disparities, and challenges associated with clinical integration of new genetic technologies.

Dr. Shields is PI of an NHGRI P20 grant to develop a Center of Excellence in ELSI Research on the theme of Genomics, Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities, as well as an R01 project, also funded by NHGRI, investigating differences in attitudes and beliefs about the role of genetics in addiction among Black and white Americans and smokers’ willingness to undergo genetic testing in order to be matched to optimal smoking treatment.

Dr. Shields also leads a 5-year project, funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, addressing challenges translating emerging genetics research on smoking into clinical practice. Dr. Shields received her PhD in Health Policy from the Heller School, Brandeis University. She also holds a B.A. in sociology and theology and an M.A. in systematic theology from Boston College.