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
April 15, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for March 31st – April 13th, 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during March 31st - April 13th 2024.
March 3, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for February 18th – March 2nd, 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 11 papers during February 18th - March 2nd 2024.
February 19, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for February 4th – 17th, 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 12 papers during February 4th - 17th 2024.
February 5, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for January 21st – February 3rd 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during January 21st - February 3rd 2024.
January 22, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for January 7th – 20th 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 12 papers during January 7th - 20th 2024.
January 8, 2024
Department of Genetics Publications for December 17th 2023 – January 6th 2024
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 12 papers during December 17th 2023 - January 6th 2024.
December 4, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for November 19th – December 2nd, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 18 papers during November 19th - December 2nd 2023.
November 5, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for October 22nd – November 4th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during October 22nd - November 4th 2023.
October 23, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for October 8th – 21st, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 9 papers during October 8th - 21st 2023.
October 9, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for September 24th – October 7th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 12 papers during September 24th - October 7th 2023.