Gina Peloso, PhD, PRIME Program Scholar Awarded R01

Gina Peloso, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and a scholar of the CTSI PRIME Program, was awarded a MPI R01 grant from the NIH for her research project: <em>”Whole Genome Sequences in Ethnically Diverse Individuals with Functional Assays and Genome Editing to Characterize the Biology of Plasma Lipids” </em>(R01HL142711).  Her goal for the project is to improve risk prediction and tailored preventive care as well as find new genes, which can be therapeutically targeted to reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Characterizing the genetic basis of plasma lipids has spurred many key paradigms for preventing cardiovascular disease – biological insights, risk prediction, and medicines. Whole genome sequencing now offers the prospect of identifying all the potential genetic factors influencing lipids. However, for an individual genome, interpretation is limited by knowledge gaps regarding 1) ethnic differences, and 2) understanding the genome outside (98.5%) of protein-coding regions (1.5%), so Dr. Peloso seeks to complement whole genome sequence analysis with genomic variation characterization in humans and cells using new technological, statistical, and bioinformatic approaches.

Dr. Peloso, is an active member in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium, the Global Lipids Genetic Consortium (GLGC), and TOPMed Program.  Congratulations to Dr. Peloso!