CGDN investigators collaborate on projects in four major theme areas. Integration of these research themes, through collaboration, enables network scientists to progress quickly through each research stage. A detailed description of each theme appears below.

Gene Identification
A fundamental component of the CGDN’s research program is disease gene identification. CGDN Investigators study gene variation within a larger population to link or associate a gene with a disease. For example, people with a mutation in the PTEN gene have a higher chance of developing a form of cancer called T-cell lymphoma.

Pathogenesis and Functional Genomics
An understanding of how variation in a gene leads to the manifestation of a disease is a crucial step in the process of developing new diagnostic technologies and therapies. Network scientists working within this theme identify how a gene works, and develop a mechanistic model to explain why disease manifests when the gene doesn’t work.

Genetic Therapies
Gene therapy is a promising means of treating disease, but its widespread use within the health system has been hampered by a number of complex problems. Our network scientists employ a multifaceted approach to investigate and evaluate potential gene-based therapies. The primary objective of this research is to bring gene-based treatments for human diseases into the clinical trials process.

Genetics and Health Care
The integration of genetics into the health system promises to provide new ways for physicians to diagnose, treat, and manage disease, to reduce treatment costs, and to improve the well-being of patients. Developing a safe, sensitive, and rapid DNA testing technologies for Retinoblastoma and Cystic Fibrosis are two examples of the CGDN’s research commitment within this theme.

Core Technologies
The network funds core technology centers, to provide individual researchers and laboratories with access to advanced technologies. Bioinformatics, genotyping, DNA sequencing, and proteomics are some of the core technologies that the network has invested in for its investigators.