SFBR's Department of Genetics works to advance human health through basic biomedical research with animal and human populations, specifically by characterizing the genetic components of susceptibility to common diseases of public health importance. Once the individual genes influencing a given disease are known, this genetic information can be used in drug development efforts to find more effective cures or methods of prevention for disease. The information can also be used to target available interventions to those individuals most likely to develop disease.

Ongoing research efforts are focused on the influence of genetic and environmental factors on heart disease, obesity, diabetes, psychiatric disease, parasitic infections, and osteoporosis.

» Monodelphis domestica, a natural mammalian model for cancer research
Taking advantage of the unique developmental patterns of Monodelphis, we have established the laboratory opossum as a natural mammalian model system for investigations on UV-induced melanoma and xenografted tumors.

» Baboon Model for Genetics of Human Generalized Epilepsy
The red baboon (Papio hamadryas papio) was first explored more than thirty years ago as a nonhuman primate model of primary generalized epilepsy in humans, and remains one of the best characterized electroclinical animal models for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

» Baboon Model for the Genetics of Chagas Disease
Chagas disease is a zoonotic disease found throughout Central and South America.

» Comparative Genomics of Monodelphis domestica
The gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, has become an important model organism for basic biological and biomedical research.

» Diet and Genotype in Primate Atherosclerosis
This project uses pedigreed baboons to study the interaction of diet and genotype in determining lipoprotein and adiposity-related phenotypes as risk factors for atherosclerosis.

» Genetic Analysis of Host-Parasite Interactions
Both host and parasite genetic may potentially influence the outcome of infection in many infectious disease systems.

» Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaskan Natives
GOCADAN is a study of the contribution of genetics and environment to heart and vascular disease in several villages on Norton Sound.

» Genetics of Atherosclerosis in Mexican Americans: San Antonio Family Heart Study
Departmental scientists are investigating the genetic components of heart disease in Mexican Americans; heart disease is the leading cause of death in this population.

» Genetics of Osteoporosis-related Phenotypes in Baboons
Osteoporosis involves progressive structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and increased risk of bone fracture.

» Mapping Drug Resistance Genes in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum
The genome sequence of the Plasmodium falciparum is complete and a saturated microsatellite map has recently been published.

» Oman Family Study
Oman Family Study research program aims at understanding the role of genetic and environmental factors in complex diseases; mainly hypertension, diabetes, obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

» Strong Heart Family Study
This study of Native Americans is aimed at assessing the genetic components of cardiovascular disease, which is a significant and increasing health problem in many American Indian tribes.

» The Jiri Helminth Project
As part of an international collaboration among geneticists at Southwest Foundation and physicians from the Institute of Medicine at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal, a long-term study is being conducted to evaluate the genetic components of susceptibility to helminthic infections using newly developed statistical genetic methods.

» Monodelphis domestica, The Laboratory Opposum
The laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, was developed as an animal model in the Department of Genetics at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research.

» Genetic Analysis and Pedigree Management
Software developed in the Population Genetics Laboratory of the Department of Genetics, SFBR, may be downloaded from this site.

» PEDSYS Software
PEDSYS is a database system developed as a specialized tool for management of genetic, pedigree and demographic data.

» SOLAR: Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines
SOLAR is an extensive, flexible software package for genetic variance components analysis, including linkage analysis, quantitative genetic analysis, SNP association analysis (QTN and QTLD), and covariate screening.