HuGENet™

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q: What is human genome epidemiology (HuGE)?

A: Human genome epidemiology is the basic science of public health genomics. It is the set of methods for measuring genetic variation within and across populations and for understanding how gene variants interact with other genes and with the environment to cause disease. Population-based epidemiologic studies help scientists to estimate how genetic factors contribute to disease risks in individuals and populations.

 

Q:  What is the Human Genome Epidemiology Network (HuGENet™)?

A:  The Human Genome Epidemiology Network, or HuGENet™ is a voluntary, international collaboration focused on assessing the role of human genome variation in health and disease at the population level.

 

Q: Where are the HuGENet™ Coordinating Centers and how can I get involved?

A:  Currently, there are 4 HuGENet™ Coordinating Centers that conduct HuGENet™ activities:

1. CDC’s Office of Public Health Genomics, Atlanta, Georgia
2. HuGENet UK Coordinating Center, Cambridge, UK
3. University of Ioannina, Greece
4. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

Visit the HuGENet™ Coordinating Centers’ Web sites to learn about ongoing activities and ways to get involved.

 

Q:  What is the HuGE Navigator?

A: The published literature in human genetics and genomics is growing rapidly. The HuGE Navigator was developed to help researchers, clinicians, and the public search this literature efficiently via the World Wide Web. The HuGE Navigator is an integrated, searchable knowledge base of genetic associations and related information in human genome epidemiology. The HuGE Navigator provides access to continuously updated, curated information extracted weekly from PubMed since 2001. Abstracts are selected by a combination of artificial and human intelligence and include information on population prevalence of genetic variants, gene-disease associations, gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, and evaluation of genetic tests.