Understanding Genetics

• Listen to Francis S. Collins, MD PhD define polymorphism and other genetic terms on the Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms hosted by the National Human Genome Research Institute.
• Another source of definitions and explanations for Mendelian conditions from the Library of Congress.
• For professionals and interested others: Court MH. A Pharmacogenomics Primer. J Clin Pharmacol 2007; 47:1087-1103
• The Genetic Alliance offers Does it run in the family? to help you assess family history of disease.
• It also offers an educational manual Understanding Genetics: A New England Guide for Patients and Health Professionals.
• The Center for Disease Control discusses genetic testing here, and the relationship between genomics and health here.
• A view of personalized medicine is provided by Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, director of the Center for Genomic Medicine at Duke University, here.
• The Personalized Medicine Coalition has a number of online publications on this rapidly developing field.