Deanna Cross, PhD

My research interests focus on translating genetic and genomic advances into patient care. My projects include the implementation of family health history tools for improvement of patient care and the creation of tools that explain genetic and genomic advances to diverse patient populations. I work to identify and eliminate barriers to the implementation of genetic and genomic medicine in populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in genomic research and medical testing. With rapidly growing fields such as epigenetics and genomic sequencing there is a need to determine the clinical utility of burgeoning tests. In order to achieve this goal, I utilize large patient populations to interrogate real world applications for genetics in healthcare. I focus on the application of genetic testing throughout a patient’s life, from pre-conception through healthy aging.