Research Interests
Keywords: genetic epidemiology, human genetics, genome-wide association studies, precision medicine, multi-omics, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, hemostasis, inflammation, hematological traits
In my research program, I use human genomics and multi-omics to understand inherited and environmental risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and related quantitative traits. I work to link genetic variants to function through integration with multi-omics data, including transcriptomic, methylation, proteomic, and metabolomic measures. This work has important implications for disease risk prediction across diverse populations and improved understanding of disease biology. A focus on understudied Black and Hispanic/Latinx populations is a central theme of my research; human genetics research is dramatically unrepresentative of global populations, with >90% of genome-wide association study participants of European ancestry. As complex trait genetics moves into the clinic, increasing diversity is essential to ensure that all populations benefit from the promise of precision medicine.
I play a leadership role in collaborative efforts in human genetics, for example serving as a Genetics Working Group co-chair for the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), one of the largest population based studies of African American adults, and an Inflammation/Hematology working group co-chair for the Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) consortium. I am also a co-convener of the Multi-Omics working group for the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program and of the Phenotype Harmonization working group for NHGRI’s Polygenic RIsk MEthods in Diverse populations (PRIMED) consortium.
Mentor Training:
- Bias 101
- REI Racial Equity Workshop Phase 1
- Safe Zone
- Unconscious Bias
Publications
Laura Raffield in UNC Genetics News

September 11, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for August 27th – September 9th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 10 papers during August 27th - September 9th 2023.

August 14, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for July 30th – August 12th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during July 30th - August 12th 2023.

July 30, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for July 16th – 29th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 8 papers during July 16th - 29th 2023.

June 4, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for May 21st – June 3rd, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 15 papers during May 21st – June 3rd, 2023.

May 22, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for May 7th – 20th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during May 7th – 20th, 2023.

May 7, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for April 23rd – May 6th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 11 papers during April 23rd – May 6th, 2023.

April 23, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for April 9th – 22nd, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 15 papers during April 9th – 22nd, 2023.

March 27, 2023
Genetics Hosts Wake Tech Community College (WTCC) START Program Students
On March 24, the department hosted a group of eight students who participate in the WTCC STEM Academic and Research Training (START) Program.

February 27, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for February 12th – 25th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during February 12th – 25th, 2023.

February 13, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for January 29th – February 11th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 7 papers during January 29th – February 11th, 2023.