Return to: 
I often have some of my best conversations via e-mail with my colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Health. They challenge me again and again to make genomics relevant for the populations they care about and for whom they provide services and support. Today, it was in such a conversatin with my friend, Evelyn, that I had a chance to think again of how I might contribute to her passion, which is to help assure the health of Minnesotans with disabilities. So, now I am on a new quest. Here are the questions that I am considering.
1) what do we know of how genetics / genomics contributes to the etiology or progression of major disabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, traumatic injury, etc.) either as an underlying cause, a contributing factor or in helping to heal or adjust after an insult or injury;2) what do we know about the genetics / genomics of common health conditions that are part of the spectrum of specific conditions or syndromes (e.g. Down Syndrome and Alzheimer disease; cystic fibrosis and diabetes);
3) what do we know about the genetics / genomics of common, chronic diseases that affect significant proportions of the whole population (e.g. coronary artery disease, breast cancer, diabetes, etc.) that also affect people with disabilities; and
4) And last, but most importantly, what are the opportunities for applying this developing knowledge to better the lives and health of people with disabilities and the other constituencies we serve?
I know parts of the answers to each of these, but am thinking I need to do a more comprehensive, a more "genomic" consideration of these issues. If anybody who reads this has any ideas on any of these issues, please pass them along in the comments.