Pediatric Genomic Medicine

Award #: T32 GM139799

Project periodJuly 2021 – June 2026
Predoc slots0
Postdoc slots2

This is a NIGMS-funded program to support physician-scientists who are engaging in medical genetics research. There are too few medical geneticists to meet the growing need for our services. As a result, much of medical genetics testing, diagnosis, counseling and management occurs outside of our field and is instead practiced by physicians who receive little specific training.

Our goals are, therefore, twofold:

  • To mentor future medical geneticists who are embarking on a career in academic medicine and grow the medical genetics workforce
  • To provide medical genetics training to physician-scientists in other fields who engage in medical genetics-related research, which will enhance the clinical knowledge-base of those specialists who may be most likely to use genetic testing or treatments in their practices.

Trainees may choose from four focus areas, which represent patient care needs with particularly rapid growth: cancer, rare and undiagnosed diseases, gene-environment interaction and neurodegeneration.

Major strengths of this program include active medical and laboratory genetics training programs, in-house clinical cytogenetics laboratory, biochemical laboratory and sequencing capability, a large number of centers and groups performing genomic studies, including Undiagnosed Diseases Network clinical and model organism screening center sites, the McDonnell Genome Institute, the Cancer Atlas Network, the Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, and others.

Washington University provides an outstanding mentorship environment and infrastructure for genetics research with an emphasis on collaboration and a superb track record of producing physician-scientists. This programs takes advantage of the wealth of genetics research, clinical and research training and mentorship that is thriving on our campus to train those scientists who will bring innovative diagnostics, therapeutics and data-driven practice to the clinic.

Program Directors

Patricia I. Dickson, MD

Patricia I. Dickson, MD

Centennial Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics
Division Director, Genetics and Genomic Medicine

Jorge Di Paola, MD

Jorge Di Paola, MD

Professor of Pediatrics & Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Elizabeth Finney McDonnell Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology Oncology
Division Director, Hematology & Oncology

  Di Paola lab

Mentors

Program FacultyDepartment or InstitutionRole in Program
Cole, F. SessionsPediatrics / Newborn MedicineMentor
Constantino, JohnPsychiatryMentor
Cooper, JonathanPediatrics / Genetics & GenomicsMentor
Cooper, MeganPediatrics / RheumatologyMentor
Cruchaga, CarlosPsychiatryMentor
Ding, LiMedicine / OncologyMentor
Di Paola, JorgePediatrics / Hematology & OncologyMentor
Dickson, PatriciaPediatrics / Genetics & GenomicsMentor
Dipersio, JohnMedicine / Bone Marrow TransplantMentor
Dougherty, JosephGeneticsMentor
Dutcher, SusanGeneticsMentor
Gordon, JeffreyLaboratory / Genomic MedicineMentor
Grange, DorthyPediatrics / Genetics & GenomicsMentor
Gurnett, ChristinaPediatrics / NeurologyMentor
Gutmann, DavidNeurologyMentor
Kornfeld, StuartMedicine / HematologyMentor
Kornfeld, StuartMedicine-HematologyMentor
Ley, TimothyMedicine / Bone Marrow TransplantMentor
Link, DanielMedicine / Bone Marrow TransplantMentor
Milbrandt, JeffreyGeneticsMentor
Miller, TimothyNeurologyMentor
Province, MichaelGenetics / Statistics GenomicsMentor
Sands, MarkMedicine / Bone Marrow TransplantMentor
Schedl, TimGeneticsMentor
Silverman, GaryPediatrics / Newborn MedicineMentor
Silverman, Gary A.PediatricsMentor
Wambach, JenniferPediatrics / Newborn MedicineMentor
Wang, TingGeneticsMentor
Wong, MichaelPediatric / NeurologyMentor