Abstract
Precision medicine is a movement that seeks to serve a patient’s individual medical needs with a tailored level of treatment. Such a practice requires an essential framework of genetic information to allow doctors to make accurate treatment decisions. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide massive amounts of information for databases, such as the GWAS Catalog; however, there is an apparent lack of diversity in the genomics data available to researchers and drug-developers. The majority of participants in GWAS are of European descent. As of January 2019, 78 percent of genetics contributed by GWAS have been of European descent; while, only 22 percent are minorities (Yeager 2019). Stemming from a history of discrimination and unfair logistics, the lack of diversity in genomic databases undercuts the accessibility and function of Precision Medicine, and this issue needs to be resolved.
Recommended Citation
Del Cid, Savannah
(2019)
"Lack of Diversity in Genomics Research,"
Osmosis Magazine: Vol. 2019:
Iss.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/osmosis/vol2019/iss1/8
