NHGRI welcomes Marcus G. Hodges as new Intramural Training Office Director
It may be summer, but things are incredibly busy for me and NHGRI!
Last month, I visited Australia for a week, during which I met with dozens of genomics researchers and gave several talks, including a seminar co-hosted by Australian Genomics and the Centre for Population Genomics. A recording of that talk is now available on YouTube. I was last in Australia 12 years ago, and I was overwhelmingly impressed with the growth of the human genomics enterprise that has clearly happened in recent years, including some impressive examples of genomic medicine implementation.
As highlighted in the last issue of The Genomics Landscape, the inaugural class of the public service fellowship program jointly run by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and NHGRI began their fellowships. Associated with this new program is the recently launched Journeys in Human Genetics and Genomics Colloquium, a lecture series showcasing the breadth and depth of genetics and genomics research and its ethical and societal implications. The series began in July with a context-setting talk by Larry Brody, Ph.D., director of NHGRI’s Division of Genomics and Society, followed by a lecture that I gave about the history of genomics and the Human Genome Project. Videos of these talks are now available on NHGRI’s YouTube channel, GenomeTV, and more videos will be added from the many excellent talks that will be forthcoming in this two-year series. A schedule of future speakers and topics can be found on the colloquium webpage.
All the best,
In This Issue
- NHGRI welcomes Marcus G. Hodges as new Intramural Training Office Director
- Two science communication experts visit NHGRI
- Undark journalist explores Human Genome Project ethics using NHGRI’s History of Genomics Archive
- NHGRI hosts two-day symposium on sex, gender, and genomics
- NHGRI offices launch two new newsletters for the research community
NHGRI welcomes Marcus G. Hodges as new Intramural Training Office Director
NHGRI’s Intramural Training Office (ITO) coordinates and supports the training activities of the Intramural Research Program’s large and diverse trainee community. With a portfolio of programming and resources for trainees at all levels, the office aims to be a central resource to help trainees navigate life at NIH and launch their genomics careers. As the new ITO director, Marcus G. Hodges, Ph.D., will play a vital role for trainees, their mentors, and the genomics community.
“NHGRI would not be the same without its intramural trainees,” Dr. Hodges said. “Those trainees go on to become ambassadors for NHGRI, NIH, and the field of genomics as a whole.”
Dr. Hodges has led training and mentorship programs since 2011. After graduating from Howard University with a doctorate in biology, he helped develop and implement training programs for high- and maximum-containment laboratories while working with the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center. Dr. Hodges was also the fellowship director for the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program and served on its Scientific Advisory Board.
Most recently, Dr. Hodges was lead for intramural trainee development in the Office of Policy, Communications and Education at NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). There, he integrated professional development and community-building into the research experiences of intramural trainees. During his time at NCATS, Dr. Hodges helped develop and advance several programs, including both an internship and an outreach program supporting students and postdoctoral researchers interested in translational research that was specifically designed for individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in science.
Dr. Hodges also co-created a mentorship program for staff, which provided a setting for staff to expand their mentorship skills and share knowledge and experience. This last achievement illustrates his philosophy of team mentorship, specifically the idea that every trainee should have more than one mentor.
“The field of genomics requires a more diverse workforce to continue to make scientific advancements that benefit human health,” said NHGRI Scientific Director Charles Rotimi, Ph.D. “Dr. Hodges brings invaluable experience in fostering rich environments for trainees to thrive and succeed, including those from diverse backgrounds. I am excited to welcome him aboard and look forward to his contributions to our NHGRI community, as well as to the genomics community overall.”
“For more than three decades, trainees have been a key part of the remarkable successes of NHGRI’s Intramural Research Program. Those trainees have benefited from the institute’s commitment to their successes, including through the efforts of the ITO,” said NHGRI Director Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D. “That is why I am delighted for Dr. Hodges to join us as the new ITO Director. Given his experience in designing programs that support both trainees and their mentors, I am certain Dr. Hodges will make a significant impact on the future careers of many trainees, influencing the genomics enterprise for years to come.”
Dr. Hodges began his appointment as the NHGRI ITO Director on July 15.
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Two science communication experts visit NHGRI
Two titans of science communication recently visited NHGRI: the host of the podcast DNA Today, Kira Dineen, M.S., and science writer and host of The Brain Scoop YouTube channel, Emily Graslie. In addition to creating her award-winning podcast DNA Today, Dineen works as a genetic counselor. In her talk entitled Mastering the Mic: Interview Strategies for Science Communicators, Dineen shared her journey as a science communicator and offered tips for interviewing experts about complex scientific topics. Throughout the talk, she showcased several episodes from her podcast as examples of how she brings awareness to, and educates the public on, important genetic topics. Graslie’s talk, The Power of Curiosity, took the audience through her experience transitioning from artist to science communicator and how she has collaborated with scientists, nature centers, and museums around the country to develop educational videos, such as those she creates for the channels The Brain Scoop and Prehistoric Road Trip, a collaboration with PBS. She shared techniques on making science more relatable to broad audiences, including the use of storytelling. You can find recordings of Dineen’s talk and Graslie’s talk on NHGRI’s YouTube channel, GenomeTV. During their visits, each also geeked out with NHGRI staff about all-things genomics and planned future collaborations with the institute (more on that later!).
Undark journalist explores Human Genome Project ethics using NHGRI’s History of Genomics Archive
Last month, the science-focused magazine Undark published an article about how one person’s DNA came to make up the majority of the draft genome sequence generated by the Human Genome Project. Through an institutional research collaboration agreement, NHGRI provided science journalist Ashley Smart, Ph.D., full access to the institute’s History of Genomics Archive. By reviewing over a hundred emails, letters, and digital documents from the archive, Dr. Smart revisited how roughly 70 percent of the draft human genome sequence came from one donor, despite the initial expectation that any one person’s DNA would comprise less than 10 percent of the total draft human genome sequence. Read the article in Undark and listen to Dr. Smart discuss his experience reporting this piece on the NPR science podcast Short Wave.
NHGRI hosts two-day symposium on sex, gender, and genomics
In collaboration with the NIH’s Sexual and Gender Minorities Research Office and the Office of Research in Women’s Health, NHGRI hosted a two-day virtual symposium on sex, gender, and genomics, which was attended by over 1,000 people. The symposium convened experts from the biological and social sciences to clarify and contextualize — but not resolve — complexities around sex, gender, and genomics by discussing the scientific, ethical, and historical contexts. Because science is inextricable from the people it affects, events like this symposium provide important opportunities to discuss the social issues connected to genomics. The invited experts offered working definitions of the biology of sex, making it clear that genomics is only one of many important aspects. Many speakers underscored how understanding sex and gender as multidimensional advances precision in scientific research and how this provides an important foundation for addressing pseudoscientific studies or other research that has been misused to harm sexual and gender minorities. Recordings of the entire symposium are available on NHGRI's YouTube channel, GenomeTV.
NHGRI offices launch two new newsletters for the research community
NHGRI’s Small Business Program and the Training, Diversity, and Health Equity (TiDHE) Office have each launched new listservs and newsletters for the genomics community. The NHGRI Small Business Program, part of the institute’s Extramural Research Program, supports genomic technology development through grants to small biotechnology companies. The program is launching a new listserv for businesses and individuals interested in funding opportunities and other updates related to industry. Information on how to sign up for this listserv can be found on genome.gov. Recently, the TiDHE Office also launched their new newsletter, The Rising TiDHE. This newsletter includes information about upcoming events, funding opportunities, research highlights, training resources, and other announcements related to the office’s activities and mission to support training, diversity, and health equity. Subscribe to The Rising TiDHE by selecting “Training, Diversity, and Health Equity Initiatives” on the sign-up form.
Genomics Research Spotlight
Approximating facial expression effects on diagnostic accuracy via generative AI in medical genetics
Patel, et al.
Bioinformatics, June 2024, PMID: 38940144
As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in research and clinical settings, it is important to understand the biases and limitations of these technologies. Facial analysis is a type of AI that can be used to study some genetic conditions that have characteristic facial features. The authors of this paper aimed to study whether a person’s expression could affect the AI’s ability to identify their genetic condition. The researchers focused on Williams syndrome and Angelman syndrome, both of which have characteristic facial features and are also associated with a “happy” demeanor. A previous study from the same research group demonstrated that clinical geneticists are more likely to correctly diagnose a patient with these syndromes if the patient is smiling. When researchers tested the effects of expression on AI facial analysis tools, they found that these tools shared the same the same bias and, like clinical geneticists, were better at identifying these syndromes if the patients were smiling. Facial expressions, however, did not affect the AI tool’s ability to identify other conditions that are not associated with a happy demeanor. This research points out some important biases that patients and clinicians should be aware of as the medical applications of AI technologies continue to grow.
This research was supported by the NHGRI Intramural Research Program in the research group of Ben Solomon, M.D.
About The Genomics Landscape
A monthly update from the NHGRI Director on activities and accomplishments from the institute and the field of genomics.
Last updated: August 8, 2024