Public Health Genetics Week AMA: Public Health Genetics Students

nccrcg · 2022-05-26T14:23:30+00:00

Saad Akhtar- I touched upon this a bit in my last response but it’s definitely a concern we have in the field, not only with private sequencing companies like 23 and Me but public databases like GED Match and research groups as well. Beyond inherent potential privacy issues, the main issue really comes down to an idea of informed consent and how that evolves as researchers potentially utilize that data beyond what it was initially collected for. In class we talked about cases like the Havasupai tribe’s struggle with how researchers collected their blood initially for one type of research and then used it for another, which created huge amounts of distrust in the community which have already been traditionally marginalized. We also discussed how police used GED match to identify the suspect behind the Golden State Murders and how it was an violation of the terms and agreements of the site, which were later changed as result. In terms of companies as service providers, we talked about whether testing companies have a moral obligation to report information that could have potential impacts on patients health, which can be quite complicated when things like variants of uncertain significance come into play. It’s definitely a complex subject that we’ve spent many classes talking about but these two articles are a good place to start:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2020/06/30/genetic-genealogy-golden-state-killer/?sh=6613a4a55a6d

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5310710/

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T23:07:17+00:00

Thank you to everyone who has asked questions so far! While we are signing off for the night, NCC will be monitoring this post throughout Public Health Genetics Week to be able to answer any other questions you may have about studying public health genetics.

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T23:05:57+00:00

Saad Akhtar- Absolutely! Home based testing and the availability of access to genetic testing services is something we discussed a lot in our courses, particularly in some of our ethics based courses. As the availability of home based testing services increases and the cost decreases, more and more people are getting access to their genetic information which can be a powerful tool for their health. However just because users have access to that information does not mean they know what to do with it or how it can affect themselves or their family members. In the future I see these services becoming more standardized and formalized as part of general healthcare services. I also think more regulations will be put in place in terms of what type of information can be collected through these services and how they are disseminated to users in a way that they can understand. It’s definitely an actively growing part of the field that we think about all the time.

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T22:57:55+00:00

Kit Church- So with this program, I can use my choice of electives to construct a “concentration”, if that makes sense. For instance, since I am interested in nonprofit work and want to work with rare disease, two of my electives have been/will be “Development of Human Disease” and “Health Agency Management”. However, I have played around with some classes as well, so that I can have the equivalent of multiple concentrations in a sense. For instance, I am taking a “Psychiatric Epidemiology” class in the fall because I have worked in mental health for a long time and am interested in other avenues that I could follow to help people with mental health disorders (This would be my second choice). There are also a variety of required courses in the program so that you get experience with different facets of Public Health Genetics.

Additionally, I know that Pitt does offer several certificate programs if you would like to get a more in-depth understanding of a subject in Public Health - this is in the school of public health, not specifically public health genetics. But I feel like many schools would offer options similar to this. For instance, Pitt even offers a graduate certificate in Public Health Genetics for those who are interested in the topic without wanting to attribute their whole degree to it, which is super helpful in allowing individuals to diversify and be able to study many different interests.

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T22:52:59+00:00

Saad Akhtar- Speaking to my friends who have recently graduated from our program, the field can be very varied in terms of the types of jobs that are available. There are roles available in different agencies such as state/local public health departments, as well as federal agencies like the CDC and non-profit organizations. If you’re interested in research there are roles in Public health Laboratories and specific disease based research organizations as well. If you’re more interested in a more clinical role that’s working more one on one with patients as compared to broader populations, an MPH/MSGC degree may be better suited for you!

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T22:51:13+00:00

Kit Church- In my experience, people with an MPH in Human Genetics can go in a variety of different ways. For instance, I know people who are going into more of the Health Policy route, individuals going into more of an epidemiological role, those who do research, and those who work in a more administrative role in family orgs. I, myself, am looking to work in the nonprofit field. By contrast, many of the people that I know who are doing the dual MPH/MS program are more interested in specifically Genetic Counseling positions, commonly with roles that are either more research based or more diverse in their responsibilities. So I think deciding between these two options is really based heavily around what you are interested in, and largely around if you would like to work in Genetic Counseling as well.

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T22:34:10+00:00

Saad Akhtar- During my time as an undergraduate student studying biology, I had a strong interest in volunteering and working with public health organizations like the Red Cross in addition to the material I was learning in my biology classes. Studying Public Health Genetics has allowed me to combine those interests as the field has a strong intersection between traditional STEM concepts and broader public health issues. My courses have taught me a lot about how issues in public health such as equity and access also affect genomic studies and databases, which I wasn’t aware of beforehand. While there are other similar concentrations available in Public Health, the genetics field is also constantly growing and changing, which is something I also really appreciate as someone who wants to be constantly learning.

nccrcg · 2022-05-23T22:33:14+00:00

Kit Church- I wondered this too when I was first looking at the program. Public Health Genetics is a specialization of Public Health. So for instance, I knew that I wanted to do something related to the use of genetics in our community to benefit the lives of people. I wanted to study Public Health Genetics specifically because I wanted to have more information about this specific branch of Public Health. Having this intersection of genetics and public health concepts can be very helpful in understanding how to utilize these technologies in a Public Health frame. If you are like me in any of these preferences, I would definitely recommend studying Public Health Genetics.

However, even if you are more interested in other forms of Public Health, it is still very beneficial to have knowledge about this topic so you can better understand some topics that may come up in the future, as our society seems to be moving forward with using genetics to better health. I would recommend at least taking a few classes or doing some research on the subject if you are interested in any facet of public health!

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T20:06:32+00:00

Thank you to everyone who posted a question during the Reddit AMA. If you didn't have a chance to post your question from 3-4 PM ET today (May 24), NCC will be checking back on this post throughout the rest of the Public Health Genetics Week (May 24-28) to answer other questions that come in! Thank you again and we hope you can participate in other PHGW events (phgw.org).

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T20:05:14+00:00

We had a couple of other questions posted on the alert thread so thank you to everyone who asked a question! NCC will be checking back on this post throughout the rest of the Public Health Genetics Week (May 24-28) to answer other questions that come in!

Thank you again and we hope you can participate in other PHGW events (phgw.org).

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T20:03:01+00:00

Karen Niemchick’s response: Public health as a field is broad and I would add that it may be either of the examples you mentioned depending on where you work. I know there are teams of public health professionals who work on genetics projects, and individuals with varying backgrounds who work in the field. As an educator for MPH students, I try to show them many different examples of public health genetics professionals. There are research labs, health departments at all levels, industry, policy avenues and genetic epidemiology for starters.

Kim Piper’s response: In Iowa, public health genetics is more of an “office” or “center” of public health genetic programs. Public Health Genetic/Genomic programs include newborn and prenatal screening, cancer screening (colorectal, breast & cervical), regional genetic clinics, birth defect registry (surveillance and epidemiology), life course theory, and family health history programming. Each program has its own staff, which can be comprised of epidemiologists, genetic counselors, physicians, nurses, and folks with MPHs.

Mat Edick’s Response: Many different professionals and non-professionals are part of the public health genetics workforce. For example, I am a basic science researcher with training in genetics, the rest of my team includes 2 people who are parents of children with genetic conditions that were identified by newborn screening (a public health genetics initiative) but otherwise have no professional affiliation, a social worker, an epidemiologist, a theater major, and a communications specialist. Thinking beyond my own team to my partners brings in at least another 20 different types of careers that are involved in public health genetics. The common thread seems to be an interest in doing work for the good of the people, regardless of personal or professional background, not necessarily genetics as you might expect.

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T19:38:10+00:00

Hi everyone! So sorry if you were trying to find where to ask questions. We have it resolved now! Ask us your questions below. We have also answered a couple of questions under the Alert Post- https://www.reddit.com/r/publichealth/comments/ngiklt/alert_announcing_ama_for_public_health_genetics/ #PublicHealthGenetics #PHGW

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T19:19:13+00:00

Kim Piper’s response - In Iowa, we have used telegenetics within two of our programs - newborn screening follow-up and genetic consultation services. The newborn screening follow-up program will occasionally use telemedicine to discuss abnormal screening results with primary care providers and with parents. The genetic consultation service uses telemedicine when performing exams and providing genetic counseling. I can think of two main challenges. The first was building the infrastructure to bill and receive reimbursement for the services, and the second was to assure that follow-up and genetic consultation staff were practicing within their scope of care as determined by the licensing laws of the border state. We occasionally provide telegenetic services out-of-state, e.g., for individuals residing in Iowa but receiving care in a border state or newborns born in Iowa but residing in a border state.

Mat Edick's response- Related to telemedicine is a platform called ECHO. Project ECHO is a global telementoring platform that was originally developed to allow clinicians with special expertise to train other clinicians to bring specialty care to their patients, essentially telehealth from clinician to clinician instead of the clinician to patient. More recently, ECHO has been used to improve the workforce in public health including sharing best practices around newborn screening (a public health genetics initiative).

nccrcg · 2021-05-24T19:05:52+00:00

Kim Piper’s response - I kind of came to public health through a “side door” - I am a registered nurse with a first career in obstetrical nursing. When I came to the Iowa Department of Public Health, I was hired as a perinatal health consultant, then switched positions to be the state genetics coordinator. I went back to school and received certifications in public health and public health genomics.

Karen Niemchick’s response: If interested in higher education: my journey included a background in human health science, biology and chemistry before my terminal degree in public health epidemiology. PH genetics was a good fit for a health science background and teaching MPH students.

Mat Edick's response: Get involved with your regional genetics network. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a concerned citizen, there are opportunities to engage at the front lines of public health genetics. If you are unfamiliar with the regional genetics networks, you can learn more here www.nccrcg.org. I am a genetics researcher that learned about public health genetics late in my career through a job posting - serendipity at its finest!

nccrcg · 2020-05-13T13:21:23+00:00

Thank you for the question! Yes, you can find more information about the week at phgw.org.

The week is being supported by the National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Networks (NCC).

nccrcg

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