Research Program in Translational Genomics and Health Outcomes

Dr. Green is a physician-scientist whose research interests have evolved from a focus on clinical trials and genetic epidemiology to a focus on translational genomics and health outcomes. He has been continuously funded by NIH for 21 years and has published over 300 articles. Key contributions have included the development of risk estimates based on family history and genetic markers, [1, 2] leadership and analysis of large multi-center treatment and prevention trials, including trials enriched through family history, [3-5] and design, leadership and future planning of the first large-scale randomized clinical trials in translational genetics [6-8]. He serves on a number of advisory, editorial and grant review boards and is a regular member of the NHGRI study section on ELSI and Human Genetics. He has been invited to participate in NIH planning workshops on the future of genomic medicine, [9] and has been a featured or plenary speaker on translational genomics and personalized medicine at meetings of the World Science Festival, the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, the American Academy of Neurology, the Consumer Genetics Conference, the World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, the American Society of Human Genetics, the National Press Club and the Bio IT World Conference. He is a Board Member of the Council for Responsible Genetics and was a plenary speaker on the topic of “Translational Genomics” at the Presidential Symposium of the 2011 American College of Medical Genetics.

Current Research

Currently, Dr. Green directs the REVEAL Study, (HG02213 funded 1999-2013), having built a team of clinicians, geneticists, genetic counselors, health psychologists, ethicists and policy scholars to conduct four separate multi-center randomized clinical trials that have collectively enrolled over 1,100 individuals in order to explore emerging themes in translational genomics. Reports from the REVEAL Study have explored the quantitative development of risk estimates from epidemiological studies and in different ethnic groups, [2, 10-12] the emotional impact of disclosing risk information, [6, 13-17] the reasons people seek genetic risk information, [18, 19] issues in self-perception of risk and how these change with genetic testing, [20-23] how much participants would pay for such testing, [24] the degree to which participants recall their test results or discuss them with others, [25-27] the degree to which genetic testing affects insurance purchasing, [28, 29] and the degree to which genetic testing alters health behaviors. [17, 30-32] Dr. Green has also written about the scientific and social aspects of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, [33-37] and directs (with joint-PI Dr. Scott Roberts) the first NIH study (HG005092) to prospectively examine the impact of consumer-based personal genomics services.

The most recently funded award led by Dr. Green is the MedSeqTM Project (HG006500, funded 2011-2015), that will involve a team of 40 scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston and Baylor School of Medicine. This $10 million project is the first and only NIH-funded clinical trial to explore whole genome sequencing in the everyday practice of medicine. Co-PIs include Drs. Mike Murray, Christine Seidman, Zak Kohane, Heidi Rehm and Amy McGuire. Subject enrollment for the Project will begin in the second half of 2012.

Dr. Green is also supported by an NIH K24 “mentoring award” for his work in mentoring junior investigators in clinical research and is a frequent collaborator with both early and established investigators in genetics and genomics from around the country. He collaborates on studies in disclosing genes for obesity (C. Wang, PI, HG00603) and diabetes (R. Grant, PI, DK084527), the Children’s Hospital Boston Gene Partnership Project (I. Holm, PI, HG005491), the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative (M. Christman, PI), the Working Group on Incidental Findings in Genomic Biobanks (S. Wolf, PI, HG003178), the Brigham and Women’s Hospital OurGenes research biobank (C. Seidman and E. Karlson, PIs) and on Harvard’s Center for Excellence in Genome Sciences (G. Church, PI, HG003170). 

Dr. Green graduated from Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Medicine before fulfilling a residency in neurology at Harvard Medical School's Longwood Neurology Program.  He completed research fellowships at the Beth Israel Hospital and Children's Hospital in Boston, winning both the William B. Lennox and Wilder Penfield Research Fellowships. Dr. Green was on the faculty of Emory University School of Medicine from 1988-1996, and obtained an MPH (epidemiology) at Emory University between 1996-1999. From 1999-2011, Dr. Green was on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine most recently as Professor of Neurology, Medicine (Genetics) and Epidemiology. From 2009-2011, he completed a fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Genetics Training Program and is board certified in medical genetics. He was recently recruited to the faculty of the Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School where he is Associate Director for Research in the Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine (PCPGM).

Selected References

  1. Green, R.C., et al., JAMA, 2002.
  2. Cupples, L.A., et al., Genet Med, 2004.
  3. Lyketsos, C.G., et al., Neurology, 2007.
  4. Green, R.C., et al., JAMA, 2009.
  5. Breitner, J., et al., Alzheimer's & Dementia, In press.
  6. Green, R.C., et al., N Engl J Med, 2009.
  7. Green, R., et al., Annual Reviewes in Genetics and Human Genomics, 2011.
  8. Green, R., et al., Using genomic sequence information in clinical medicine, in Genomic and Personalized Medicine (2nd Edition), G. Ginsburg, et al., Editors. 2011.
  9. Khoury, M.J., et al., Genetics in Medicine, 2009.
  10. Bachman, D.L., et al., Neurology, 2003.
  11. Green, R.C., et al., J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2002.
  12. Christensen, K.D., et al., Genet Med, 2008.
  13. Roberts, J., et al., J Geriatr Psychiatr Neurol, 2005.
  14. Green, R.C., et al., Alzheimer's and Dementia, 2007.
  15. Roberts, J.S., The Gerontologist, 2009.
  16. Chung, W., et al., Alz Dis Assoc Dis, 2009.
  17. Lerner, B., et al., Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2009.
  18. Roberts, J.S., et al., Alz Dis Assoc Dis, 2003.
  19. Roberts, J.S., et al., Genet Med, 2004.
  20. LaRusse, S., et al., Genet Med, 2005.
  21. Hiraki, S., et al., J Genet Couns, 2009.
  22. Linnenbringer, E., et al., Genet Med, 2010.
  23. Christensen, K., et al., Genet Med, 2011 (Epub ahead of print).
  24. Kopits, I., et al., Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers, 2011 (in press).
  25. Eckert, S.L., et al., Genet Med, 2006.
  26. Ashida, S., et al., J Health Commun, 2009.
  27. Ashida, S., et al., Eur J Hum Genet, 2010.
  28. Zick, C.D., et al., Health Affairs, 2005.
  29. Taylor, D.H., Jr., et al., Health Aff (Millwood), 2010.
  30. Chao, S., et al., Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord, 2008.
  31. Fanshawe, T.R., et al., Genet Test, 2008.
  32. Vernarelli, J.A., et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 2010.
  33. Annas, G.J., et al., Bioethics, 2008.
  34. Green, R.C., et al., N Engl J Med, 2008.
  35. Evans, J.P., et al., Genet Med, 2009.
  36. Giovanni, M.A., et al., Genet Test Mol Biomarkers, 2010.
  37. Frueh, F., et al., Nature Reviews Genetics, 2011 (in press).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert C. Green, MD, MPH

Robert C. Green, MD, MPH
Lecturer on Medicine 
EC Alumnae Building, Rm 311
(617) 264-5838
rcgreen@genetics.med.harvard.edu

 

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This page was last modified on 12/27/2011