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Our Committees and Workgroups

The Genomics Forum is comprised of four functional committees and a Steering Committee. We have also organized three workgroups that are addressing specific issue areas – workforce development, healthcare policy, and gene-environment interactions. Other workgroups may form based on the interests of our members. Each group meets periodically via conference call and strives to fulfill the Forum’s goals. You are invited to join a committee or workgroup or to contact us for an orientation to the Forum.

 

Program Committee

Policy Committee

Membership/Communications Committee

Special Projects Committee

Carrier Screening Workgroup

Gene-Environment Interaction Workgroup

Healthcare Policy Workgroup

Genomic Translation Workgroup

Workforce Development Workgroup

 

Program Committee

In coordination with general membership and the Steering Committee, the Program Committee is responsible for deciding topics for the annual call for abstracts, reviewing abstracts, and organizing the Forum's scientific program for the APHA Annual Meeting.  This committee coordinates the co-sponsorship of sessions with other Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups (SPIGs), Caucuses, and Forums. 

MEETING FREQUENCY

This group meets approximately once per month; scheduling varies and depends on the APHA program planning schedule.  See our Calendar for specific meeting times.

        Program Committee Members:
             Valerie Alexander (Coordinator)
             Brad Anderson
             Nelson Atehortua
             Vence Bonham
             Ashley Braun
             Apryl Brown
             kee chan
             Alyssa Cooney
             Vaughn Edelson
             Amanda Field
             Sarah Harding, MPH
             Tabitha Harrison
             Lianne Hasegawa-Evans
             Heather H. Honoré
             H Dean Hosgood (Past Chair)
             Nora Isack
             Amalia Issa, PhD, MPH
             Kimberly Kaphingst (Chair)
             Laura Koehly
             Sara Kowalczyk
             Dina Kurz
             Penny Kyler
             Elizabeth Levy
             Kirsty McWalter
             Stephen Modell
             James O'Leary
             Tricia Page
             Dina Paltoo
             Mona Pandey
             Scott Parsons
             K. Robin Pierce, J.D., Ph.D.
             Jody Platt
             Irene Prabhu Das
             Kate Reed
             Carla Batton Renfrow
             Dana Richter
             Luisel Ricks-Santi
             Sarah Scollon
             Dr. Stephen Sodeke
             Sandra Suther
             Tung-Sung Tseng
             Elaine White
To join the Program Committee, please click this link.



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Policy Committee

The Policy Committee keeps abreast of any policies within and outside APHA in relation to genetics/genomics and communicates these to the Forum membership.  This group will work with the APHA to revise APHA's policy statements on genomics and public health and promote advocacy activities as needed.  This committee is currently (2009-2010) writing policies on genomic literacy and health disparities.

MEETING FREQUENCY:

TBA

        Policy Committee Members:
             Valerie Alexander
             Brad Anderson
             Debmalya Barh
             Ashley Braun (Coordinator)
             Apryl Brown
             kee chan
             Toby Citrin
             E. Hill DeLoney
             Amanda Field
             Gregory Fowler
             Michael Ginsburg
             Judith Graham
             Jean Grassman
             Ella Greene-Moton
             Heather H. Honoré (Chair)
             H Dean Hosgood
             Nora Isack
             Kaye Ismail
             Amalia Issa, PhD, MPH
             Eric Jamoom
             Thomas Kane
             Susan King
             Sara Kowalczyk
             Dina Kurz
             Jamie Lamson
             Annemarie Linares MD
             Stephen Modell
             James O'Leary
             Mona Pandey
             Vicki Park PhD
             Erin Payne (Past Chair)
             K. Robin Pierce, J.D., Ph.D.
             Jody Platt
             Sarah Pollet
             Sharon Pritchett
             Carla Batton Renfrow
             Dana Richter
             Catharine Riley
             Diane Sutcliffe
             Sharon Vaz
             Meredith Weaver
             Lauren Williams
             Kristi Zonno
To join the Policy Committee, please click this link.



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Membership / Communications Committee

The Membership and Communication Committee is responsible for the recruitment and retention of Forum members, and maintaining member relations and partnerships with APHA sections, SPIGs and Caucuses.  It is also responsible for publicizing and promoting Forum activities via web and print and moderating any discussion boards/listservs.  This committee will works with Forum members interested in promoting the Forum at non-APHA events. 

MEETING FREQUENCY:

Usually we meet on the 2nd Thursday every other month at 4:00pm (est).  See our Calendar for specific meeting times.

        Membership / Communications Committee Members:
             Valerie Alexander (Coordinator)
             Brad Anderson
             Ashley Braun (Chair)
             Alyssa Cooney
             E. Hill DeLoney
             Mary Dunkle
             Nicole Exe
             Amanda Field
             Valerie Hill
             H Dean Hosgood
             Nora Isack
             Elizabeth Levy
             Marlene Linders
             Sally Meyer
             James O'Leary
             Jody Platt
             Sharon Pritchett
             Tiphané Turpin (Past Chair)
             Sharon Vaz
             Lauren Williams
To join the Membership / Communications Committee, please click this link.



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Special Projects Committee

The Special Projects Committee is made up of people who can assure that the sum of projects address the 5 major topic areas central to the Forum's goals: education, health disparities, ELSI, research, and services.  The Special Projects Committee coordinates the work of the Forum's workgroups.  In 2009 there are four workgroups: Gene Environment Interaction Workgroup, Healthcare Policy Workgroup, Health Disparities Workgroup, and Workforce Development Workgroup.

MEETING FREQUENCY

TBA.  See our Calendar for specific meeting times.

        Special Projects Committee Members:
             Tolulope Akinbo
             Valerie Alexander
             Brad Anderson
             Nedal Arar
             Sylvia Au
             Debmalya Barh
             Yvonne Bombard
             Ashley Braun (Coordinator)
             kee chan
             Michael Dalmat
             Amanda Field
             Alice Furumoto-Dawson
             Michael Ginsburg
             Aaron Goldenberg
             Julie Harris
             Tabitha Harrison
             Valerie Hill
             Sonya Hodges
             Heather H. Honoré
             H Dean Hosgood
             Nora Isack
             Edna Isiorho
             Kaye Ismail
             Shannon Kieran
             Sarah Kneer
             Pei Koay
             Laura Koehly
             Sara Kowalczyk
             Barbara Lerner
             Bruce Lin
             Barbara Burns McGrath
             Ilana S. Mittman
             Gia Mudd
             Harvey Murff
             Melanie Myers
             James O'Leary
             Heather Orom
             Dina Paltoo
             Mona Pandey
             Scott Parsons
             Jody Platt
             Joana Ramos
             Padmini Ranasinghe
             Kate Reed
             Krysta Shutske
             Carol Stone
             Sandra Suther
             Patricia Thompson-Reid
             Tung-Sung Tseng
             Sharon Vaz
             Eduardo Velasco
             Grace Wang
             Sim Wimbush
             Beverly Yashar
To join the Special Projects Committee, please click this link.



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Gene Environment Interaction Workgroup

The Gene by Environment Workgroup aims at reviewing and assessing gene by environment interaction knowledge and developments to identify, assess and recommend applications relevant to people’s health, as well as the implications of gene by environment interaction knowledge for research, teaching and practice.  The Workgroup is currently compiling an annotated bibliography.

To join the Gene Environment Interaction Workgroup, please click this link.



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Healthcare Policy Workgroup

The Genomics Forum Healthcare Policy Workgroup seeks to understand how healthcare policy impacts public health genomics, and brainstorms around how public policy and genomics can serve as vehicles for breaking down silos within the public health system.  The Workgroup identifies community engagement as a crucial component of addressing all stakeholder perspectives as well as health disparities.  Project work will emphasize cross-working group collaborations and will explore federal legislative opportunities as well as written products that will identify models, analyze current systems, and propose strategies for the future.  The Workgroup is currently learning more about the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act legislation.

To join the Healthcare Policy Workgroup, please click this link.



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Carrier Screening Workgroup

The Carrier Screening Working Group seeks to understand the public's expectations and needs regarding carrier screening systems and practices.  The workgroup hopes to maintain a focus on current developments in carrier screening options including direct to consumer testing, and the implications genetic information has for families and patients with genetic conditions.

To join the Carrier Screening Workgroup, please click this link.



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Workforce Development Workgroup

The charge of the Public Health Workforce Development Workgroup is to facilitate the identification and strengthening of public health workforce genomic competencies through accessible training strategies.  Special emphasis is being placed on training for state and local public health department personnel, and genomic competencies will include ethical, legal, and social issues.  The Public Health Workforce Development Workgroup, facilitated by the Center for Public Health and Community Genomics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, is a multidisciplinary group comprised of members of the APHA Genomics Forum.

To join the Workforce Development Workgroup, please click this link.



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Genomic Translation Workgroup

Recently the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/OPHG) launched the "GAPPNet" (Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Network) initiative, aimed at accelerating and streamlining the translation of genomic research into evidence-based applications in practice and prevention. With support from the Center for Public Health and Community Genomics, CDC/OPHG is now convening a stakeholder group to ensure that this network serves the needs of the ultimate providers, users and consumers of these applications.  Since many APHA Genomics Forum members have indicated a desire to play a role in the process of translating genomic research into useful applications, the Forum has created the Genomic Translation Workgroup.  While setting its own goals and activities, this group is also considered by CDC/OPHG as a significant component of its GAPPNet stakeholder group.

To join the Genomic Translation Workgroup, please click this link.



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