Posted on October 9, 2001 at 3:33 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The School of Medicine at UAB has established a new joint division within its departments of medicine, pediatrics and human genetics. Named the Division of Genetic and Translational Medicine, the new division will focus on applying basic scientific discoveries for use in clinical applications, and on the development of targeted therapeutic interventions for specific genetic disorders.
The division was formally established by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees at its recent meeting in September.
Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford was named director of the division. She will recruit three additional faculty to work with her. Guay-Woodford is an associate professor in the school of medicine's division of nephrology. She also holds appointments in the departments of pediatrics, cell biology and genomics and comparative pathobiology.
The division will help UAB attract talented new faculty and increase its research funding, says Dr. William Koopman, chairman of UAB's Department of Medicine.
"The field of genomics holds enormous potential in our quest to diagnose and treat illnesses of every kind," Koopman says. "We are fortunate to have Dr. Guay-Woodford's leadership and the support of the University of Alabama Board."
The new division will coordinate researchers with many different specialties to study genes and their interactions in experimental models. "There has been tremendous progress in identifying genes that play a role in both rare diseases and common disorders such as hypertension and diabetes," Guay-Woodford says. "Through research, we are developing a more sophisticated set of insights into what goes on in these disorders and how the normal biologic processes become distorted."
One of the most promising uses of genomics is the potential to develop precise diagnostic tools and tailored therapy for a disease, based on a person's genetic profile. "The practice of medicine is evolving rapidly," Guay-Woodford says. "By studying the genetic pathways involved in disease processes, we can refine our therapies so that they are more targeted, more effective, and have fewer side-effects for our patients."
Guay-Woodford will also serve as co-director of the Heflin Center for Human Genetics, also with N. Patrick Higgins, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. The Heflin Center, housed in UAB's new Kaul Genetics Building, will serve as a coordinating center for genetic research conducted at UAB. It will also provide Core resources, such as microarray technologies and high throughput DNA sequencing for UAB investigators .
"UAB is home to a very collegial and interactive community," Guay-Woodford says. "Interactions between researchers are expected and encouraged. Putting all the pieces of our program together will enhance genetics research here. The opportunities are very exciting".