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For our genomics issue, we reflect on the enduring family history that shapes and influences genomics public health research. The importance of the family tree in genomics is demonstrated in several of the articles in this issue as a valuable way to determine individual health risks for chronic disease. The quilt itself is a metaphor for a family’s legacy; a quilt is as unique as an individual’s genetic make-up, yet it is also made up of blocks of information — names, dates, and faces embroidered into the quilt’s pattern — that inform each family member about the others. The whole of the quilt’s design is more than the sum of its parts, and each contribution to the pattern is critical to the overall design. Beyond the quilt’s symbolism of the uniqueness of a family’s history, the quilt as a work of art is a literal reminder of one’s lineage, a family story that endures through generations.

Cover artist: Kristen Immoor
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This page last reviewed October 25, 2011

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