FIU Diversity Center for Genome Research

The FIU-DCGR aims to champion a diverse genomics research workforce by supporting cutting-edge genomic research projects, capacity building, and genomics training at FIU.

The Objectives of FIU-DCGR:

• Develop a cadre of faculty and student researchers conducting genomic research:  We will offer innovative and substantive educational, career development, and research experience opportunities for students and researchers. Moreover, we will provide equitable opportunity and participation to students and faculty from various disciplines and those from underrepresented minorities (URMs).
   
• Work with community partners on health disparities that disproportionately impact URMs: We will encourage participants to engage in research that addresses minority communities’ health concerns, not only as research participants, but also through contributions to the development of genomic research questions, study design, study execution, participant recruitment, and dissemination of study findings across our Center’s proposed pilot and preliminary studies.
   
• Complete interrelated, innovative research projects: a) Bridging the gap: linking genomics, poly-social risks, and HIV-related health outcomes; b) Mitigating long-term mental illness mortality and morbidity among minorities; c) New methodology in disease risk prediction and prognosis using multi-omics data for minority populations.

Administrative Core
Co-Leads: Xuexia Wang, Ph.D. and Stephen M. Black, Ph.D.

The Administrative Core (AC) will coordinate all aspects of the Center, providing support for all Center activities and overseeing the management, direction, coordination, integration, and evaluation of the Center grant. The AC will ensure that the FIU-DCGR operates in accordance with NIH goals and requirements for genomic research centers. Moreover, the AC will promote career development and enhancement activities for underrepresented early-stage investigators (ESIs) engaged in genomic research. Finally, the AC will provide ethical oversight and support for all training, research, and development activities associated with the FIU-DCGR.

Workforce Development Core
Co-Leads: Mary Jo Trepka, M.D., MSPH and Xuexia Wang, Ph.D.

The Genomic Workforce Development Core (GWDC) will use a comprehensive and unique model to offer innovative and substantive educational, career development, and research experience opportunities for high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and other investigators in all career levels. Through mentored scholarship, graduate assistantship, and pilot grant programs, as well as weekly seminars, journal club, short lectures, and semester courses, the GWDC will develop and enhance participants’ expertise in genomics. Through targeted recruitment efforts, we will ensure that participating students and faculty will include those from a diversity of disciplines and from URM groups.

Community Engagement Core
Lead: Marianna K. Baum, Ph.D., RD

The Community Engagement Core (CEC) is in Miami-Dade County (MDC), home to 2.7 million residents, 69% of which are Hispanic/Latino and 17% Black or African American (AA). Designed to enhance research participation among minorities, the CEC will facilitate the transfer of culturally relevant, evidence-based prevention/interventions into practice. It aims to strengthen bidirectional linkages with community-based organizations (CBOs) and engage communities in the design, implementation, and dissemination of the Center’s research. This core will build equitable, transparent, and inclusive collaborations with minority communities, fostering training, empowerment, inclusion, and trust to sustainably reduce major morbidities. CEC activities will strengthen partnerships between FIU and underrepresented communities, uniting investigators and community stakeholders to address pressing health disparities through cutting-edge genomic research.

Research projects at the FIU Diversity Center for Genomic Research focus on HIV and mental illness, addressing significant health disparities among African Americans and Hispanic Americans. We incorporate cutting-edge technologies to enhance the impact of training and research experiences for students, researchers, and community participants in the research projects.

• Bridging the Gap: Linking Genomics, Poly-Social Risks, and HIV-Related Health Outcomes 
  Lead: Marianna K. Baum, Ph.D., RD
  
  HIV infection, hypertension, and obesity are major comorbidities that disproportionately impact minority populations, all characterized by chronic inflammation. There is an urgent need to investigate the effects of social determinants and inflammation on genomics, DNA methylation, post-translational modification of histones (epigenomics), and mRNA expression (transcriptomics) in these populations. 
  
  This study will apply multidisciplinary approaches to well-characterized minority cohorts to elucidate significant epigenetic alterations and identify key patterns of gene expression and social determinants of health (SDOH) in underrepresented minority populations with HIV and comorbidities, with a focus on inflammation. 
  
  The outcomes of this study will be crucial for informing future interventions to reduce preventable health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities and other underserved populations.
  
   
• Mitigating Long-Term Mental Illness Mortality & Morbidity Among Minorities 
  Co-Leads: Jeremy W. Pettit, Ph.D. and Mark J. Macgowan, Ph.D., LCSW
  
  In recent years, there have been alarming increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) among minority populations, including youth. 
  
  There is an urgent need to understand the interplay of genetic and non-genetic risk factors for mental illness to better comprehend the risks for these debilitating and potentially deadly psychopathologies in minoritized populations. 
  
  Utilizing three large datasets (MASH cohort, COVID-19 cohort, and ADD Health) and exploring the main and gene-environment interaction effects of genetic variants, this proposed study will address two main limitations of existing genetic studies in mental illnesses: 1) Lack of racial-ethnic minority representation and 2) Complex gene-environment interactions. 
  
  By applying multidisciplinary concepts to minoritized populations and focusing on genetic contributions, this study aims to identify individuals at the highest risk of mental illness, ultimately contributing to the development of personalized risk-mitigation strategies.
  
   
• Disease Risk Prediction and Prognosis Using Multi-Omics Data for Minority Populations 
  Co-Leads: Xuexia Wang, Ph.D., Ananda Mohan Mondal, Ph.D., and Nan Hu, Ph.D. 
  
  Genomic research has historically been biased toward populations of European ancestry, leading to a lack of representation and understanding of genetic variations in minority populations. This study aims to develop methods using diverse genomic data for disease risk prediction and prognosis in minority populations.
  
  We propose Allelic Ancestry Specific PRS (aPRS), which generates accurate allelic ancestry-specific summary statistics, addressing limitations present in most genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Additionally, we aim to identify biological factors related to health disparities by analyzing the transcriptome using the SAHP-based XAI approach. Finally, we will develop a time-dependent survival model to predict the cumulative risk of mental health events over multiple time periods.
  
  These proposed methods aim to improve risk prediction with aPRS, predict cumulative risks of adverse events, lead to dynamic and personalized screening strategies for minorities, and discover genetic risk factors that explain health disparities between different ethnic or racial groups.