The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, April 1, 2015 — 5A
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News

‘Genes for Good’ study 
could predict diseases

‘U’ researchers 

analyze fluxuation in 
wages and poverty, 
among other factors

By IRENE PARK

Daily Staff Reporter

Doctors may soon be able to 

predict if patients will develop a 
particular disease based on their 
genes and lifestyle.

University 
researchers 

launched a study Tuesday titled 
“Genes for Good,” which aims 
to collect health and genetic 
information to better understand 
human health and preventative 
medicine. The study is co-led 
by Biostatistics Prof. Goncalo 
Abecasis 
and 
Scott 
Vrieze, 

assistant professor of psychology 
and neuroscience at the University 
of Colorado at Boulder.

Vrieze wrote in an e-mail 

interview that the goal of Genes 
for Good aligns with the aim of 
the Precision Medicine Initiative, 
which was announced during 
President Barack Obama’s State of 
the Union Address in January.

Obama 
characterized 
the 

initiative as a research effort to 
“revolutionize” how diseases are 
treated. The program was launched 
with a $215 million investment in 
the president’s 2016 budget.

The initiative aims to help 

clinicians 
provide 
the 
best 

possible care for patients by taking 
the patients’ genes, environments 

and lifestyles into account when 
determining medical treatments.

“What we’re doing is not unlike 

that which is being proposed 
and discussed for the new NIH 
Precision Medicine Initiative,” 
Vrieze wrote.

Abecasis 
said 
the 
recent 

technological 
advances 
have 

facilitated 
biomedical 
data 

analysis, 
which 
traditionally 

has been the limiting factor. He 
said researchers now need ways 
to generate and collect a large 
dataset of genetic and health 
information for analysis.

“One of the questions we were 

interested in was figuring out how 
to engage large numbers of people 
in research in a cost-effective 
manner,” 
Abecasis 
said. 
“By 

reaching large numbers of people, 
we can explore questions that 
can’t be tackled in small studies.”

Genes 
for 
Good 
collects 

health information by having its 
participants 
complete 
various 

health and lifestyle surveys. Once 
a certain number of surveys are 
completed, the participants can 
send in saliva samples to get their 
genes analyzed.

The 
genetic 
information 

includes 
details 
about 
an 

individual’s ancestry, such as 
what fraction of a patient’s genes 
originated from which continents.

Though participants can also 

download a full copy of the genetic 
information compiled through 
the project, the information will 
not be completely user-friendly in 
its current form.

“(It) is probably more useful 

for aficionados at the moment,” 
Abecasis said. “But that will 
become gradually more useful as 
more annotation services become 
available.”

Currently, 
the 
study 
uses 

Facebook as a platform to engage 
and reach out to a large, diverse 
group of people.

“We thought Facebook would 

be a place where many people 
already spent time as part of their 
regular routine,” Abecasis said. 
“And that perhaps they might 
answer some questions about 
their health as a small addition to 
that routine.”

Abecasis also said his team is 

currently working on a mobile 
version of the app to reach more 
individuals.

Rackham 
student 
Shweta 

Ramdas said she participated 
in Genes for Good because she 
wanted to contribute to the 
ongoing research.

“I saw this as win-win, really,” 

Ramdas said. “It’s also a great 
feeling 
knowing 
that 
you’re 

contributing to a research study, 
even if in a small way.”

Ramdas, 
who 
is 
studying 

bioinformatics, 
said 
she 

participated because her research 
project centers on human genetics. 
However, she wants to see others 
who do have background in 
genetics to participate in the 
study as well.

“I’d also want my non-Ph.D. 

friends to get excited about 
genetics 
and 
its 
increasing 

presence in our lives over the next 
few decades,” Ramdas said.

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

James S. Jackson, professor of psychology, health behavior, and health education, speaks at the Jerome B. Wiesner 
Symposium “Strengthening the Roles of Universities in National Science Policymaking: Education, Research, and Engage-
ment” at the Rackham Building on Monday. 

within the scientific community: 
the lack of scientific representa-
tion in policymaking, the need for 
improved scientific communica-
tion to the public, the challenges 
facing STEM education and the 
concerns over a lack of diversity in 
scientific fields.

The recommendations were 

presented by School of Educa-
tion Dean Deborah Ball and Ros-
ina Bierbaum, former dean of the 
School of Natural Resources and 
Environment and current mem-
ber of President Obama’s Council 
of Advisors on Science and Tech-
nology. The list included improv-
ing science policy education for 
students, offering resources to 
faculty to support science com-
munication and fostering engage-
ment between the University, 
state government and federal gov-
ernment in policymaking.

Education

Several presenters discussed 

ways for Universities to potential-
ly improve the quality of under-
graduate education in STEM 
fields. The most pressing need 
identified was for students in sci-
ence to gain a better understand-
ing of science policy in the future.

Currently, the University offers 

a certificate program for graduate 
students in Science, Technology 
and Public Policy. The recommen-
dations encouraged the expansion 
of cross-departmental programs 
like this. They also called for the 
University to compile a directory 
of currently offered courses in sci-
ence policy, which would foster 
better review of its effectiveness 
in training students for potential 
careers in research or policy.

Whether through undergradu-

ate curriculum or internships, 
John Holdren, director of the 
White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, said scientists 
should spend as much as 10 per-
cent of their time working on poli-
cy issues related to their research.

Given that many grants from 

federal agencies, such as the 
National Science Foundation and 
National Institutes of Health, are 
funded through taxpayer dollars, 
many presenters said it is impor-
tant for the public to understand 
the importance of continued 
investment in the sciences.

Holdren said scientists, engi-

neers and mathematicians need 
to concern themselves with how 
the public receives research and 
how it is implemented in the pub-
lic sphere. He added that the sci-
entific community should also 
encourage young members who 
may wish to pursue policy profes-
sions full time.

“Obviously some will, at some 

point in their careers, engage with 
these issues full time,” Holdren 
said. “I think it is appropriate to 
train some people to do so early in 
their careers.”

A key dividing issue during the 

first day of discussion was how 
to implement such policy expe-
riences in science curriculums. 
Some experts, such as former U.S. 
Rep. Rush Holt, promoted the use 
of fellowships to allow scientists 
to gain exposure in federal offic-
es. Holt, who is currently chief 
executive officer of the American 
Association for the Advancement 
of Science, discussed his experi-
ence as a congressional intern and 
highlighted the role of current 
AAAS fellowships, which place 
young scientists in congressional 
and department offices in Wash-
ington, D.C. each year.

James Jackson, director of 

the Institute for Social Research, 
acknowledged that policy intern-
ships might not be suitable for 
every scientist, but said it was 

important to provide opportuni-
ties for students who might be 
interested.

Other 
panelists 
considered 

more formalized methods of 
integrating policy into science 
curriculums. Tobin Smith, vice 
president for policy at the Asso-
ciation of American Universities, 
suggested involving students in 
science policy and history courses 
early in their academic career, 
along with experiential learning 
courses and internships. He added 
that it is concerning that many 
undergraduate and graduate stu-
dents working in laboratories have 
little to no idea as to the source of 
their funding.

Physics Prof. Homer Neal, who 

currently conducts research at the 
European Laboratory for Particle 
Physics, also known as CERN, 
expressed a similar sentiment. 
He noted that the College of Engi-
neering allows certain science 
policy courses to count toward 
optional 
distribution 
require-

ments in some programs, but that 
LSA does not.

Rackham graduate students 

Kim Daley and Rachel Merzel 
said they believe that integrating 
policy courses would make sense 
either later in undergraduate 
coursework or early in graduate 
coursework.

Merzel referred to current 

funding methods in science as 
a “black box” — rarely do young 
scientists fully understand what 
happens to research grants after 
they are submitted to a federal 
agency for review. Because they 
rarely receive formal education to 
apply for grants, most researchers 
face a steep learning curve when 
attempting to do so in their pro-
fessional careers. The pair agreed 
that formalized courses could 
overcome some of these obstacles.

Beyond policy decisions, sev-

eral presenters discussed the need 
for improved STEM education and 
teacher certification courses. Ball 
said the current system of produc-
ing STEM teachers — a system 
that primarily involves students 
graduating from four-year insti-
tutions like the University before 
starting a teaching career — do 
not prepare graduates for the true 
challenges of teaching, such as 
understanding different learning 
styles and encouraging student to 
pursue a variety of fields.

“The most important job that 

we ask any adult in our society to 
do — the cultivation of the next 
generation of thinkers, doers, 
problem solvers — we really leave 
largely to chance,” Ball said. “It’s 
a problem that’s squarely in the 
responsibility of universities, and 
yet we fail often on university 
campuses to understand our role 
in that.”

Communication

In 
addition 
to 
education, 

improving scientific communica-
tion was another widely identi-
fied area of concern among many 
presenters. 
Recommendations 

in this area included providing 
training resources to faculty in 
media communications, hosting 
regular meetings of science policy 
experts on campus and encourag-
ing engagement with government 
officials.

As scientific research struggles 

under the weight of sequestra-
tion — blanket cuts to government 
spending that have reduced scien-
tific research significantly since 
2013 — and other political pres-
sures, there is a need for the com-
munity to develop effective means 
of communicating research to the 
public and Congress, said France 
Cordova, director of the National 
Science Foundation.

Cordova said some research — 

specifically, she referenced a now 
infamous video of a shrimp run-
ning on a treadmill — can receive 

criticism from the public as a 
frivolous use of taxpayer money. 
However, as was the case with the 
aforementioned video, she said 
there is almost always a serious 
scientific purpose for such studies 
that, if effectively communicated 
to the public, encourages support 
for such research.

Cordova added that the key 

is not creating communications 
experts within science, but rather 
convincing scientists to engage in 
heartfelt conversations with polit-
ical leaders. In research, where 
emotional attachment to a subject 
is often discouraged, Cordova said 
it is important that scientists are 
able to communicate the personal 
importance of their own research 
to earn the public’s trust.

“When you speak from your 

passions, when you have some-
thing to say, when you have a 
good knowledge of and you’re 
truly interested in the person that 
you’re talking with and want to 
hear what they say, you are a com-
municator,” Cordova said. “I just 
don’t want anyone in this audi-
ence — and especially our young 
people — to sell themselves short 
because they haven’t taken some 
public speaking class.”

“If you take the effort to share 

what you care about, you can just 
make a tremendous difference,” 
she added.

In addition to communicating 

with Congress, presenters dis-
cussed the various ways that sci-
entists could make their research 
more available to the public. 
Chemical 
Engineering 
Prof. 

Sharon Glotzer referred to the 
research being conducted in cer-
tain departments at the University 
as one of the best-kept secrets in 
science.

The presenters recommended 

the University provide resources 
and workshops that teach faculty 
how to better engage with media, 
acknowledging how such com-
munication is often different from 
what a researcher might encoun-
ter when speaking with students 
or government officials.

Value

Another discussion held among 

the presenters regarded the value 
of public research universities 
to local and national communi-
ties. Traditionally universities are 
the harbingers of cutting-edge 
research and academia, but it 
appears the fundamental driving 
forces could be changing to reflect 
the changing needs of the country.

President 
Emeritus 
James 

Duderstadt highlighted the three 
main competencies of the mod-
ern research university: provid-
ing learning communities for 
students, promoting access to a 
broad scope of knowledge and 
verifying truth in sciences. While 
some of these roles have shifted in 
response to the rapid expansion of 
easily accessible online resources, 
the presenters contended that 
there is still a major role for uni-
versities in serving the public 
good.

Moving forward, universities 

will likely need to adapt to the 
changing landscape of public sup-
port for research. This could, in 
part, involve a reevaluation of how 
universities value different forms 
of research, — potentially placing 
more credibility on entrepreneur-
ship and translational research, in 
addition to traditional research, as 
a path toward tenure.

Engineering Dean David Mun-

son said his college has already 
started considering other aspects 
of impact that contribute to pro-
moting learning goals. In particu-
lar, he noted that when requesting 
letters of recommendation for 
tenure appointments, the college 
uniquely asks about a professor’s 
contributions to entrepreneur-
ship, along with standard mea-

STEM
From Page 1A

sures of evaluation.

More broadly, the symposium 

drew attention to one major diver-
gence in academia: professors are 
best suited to engage on complex 
social and policy issues, yet engag-
ing with the public does not usually 
gain them the same level of recog-
nition in their professional careers.

Jackson, director of the ISR, 

contended that science rarely 
rewards the best and brightest for 
taking interest in policy efforts. He 
said this perceived disinterest can 
color the entire scientific commu-
nity when it comes to engaging the 
public.

“For a lot of our colleagues 

and for a lot of students, there is 
often something unseemly about 
involvement with regards to public 
policy and I think that we have a 

responsibility,” Jackson said.

One recommendation was for 

faculty to be asked to include 
engagement and outreach efforts 
in their annual report to deans and 
the provost, thus encouraging it as 
a means of career advancement. 
Another called for the University to 
better promote itself in Congress, 
the White House and Lansing in an 
effort to provide students the best 
possible chances of being selected 
for one of the highly competitive 
internships or fellowship that offer 
access to policymakers.

But value doesn’t just rest in 

public perception, but student per-
ception as well.

As the symposium was drawing 

to a close, Space Science Prof. Len-
nard Fisk raised one last concern 
over challenges facing scientific 

research. While students are some-
times despondent over the inherent 
struggles of becoming a scientist, 
Fisk said it was important to keep 
in mind the public arena that they 
will eventually enter — the prob-
lems they face now only prepare 
them for the problems they might 
face later.

Neuroscience Prof. Huda Akil 

agreed with the sentiment, but said 
she still works to encourage stu-
dents to pursue scientific careers. 
As she struggles with the pains of 
funding concerns and contentious 
policy, she said it’s important to 
remain optimistic and demonstrate 
to students that there are still great 
opportunities.

“The best antidote for the 

despair is for them to understand 
why I love what I do,” Akil said. 

his recount of the history behind 
the conflict.

Lieberman said the resolution 

rested on untenable premises 
and the resolution assumes that 
Palestinians are solely innocent 
victims 
without 
responsibility 

for their own conditions. He also 
gave examples of conflicts in other 
nations such as Syria, Russia and 
India as issues that should be given 
greater attention.

“Israel has offered to recognize 

Arab 
sovereignty 
on 
five 

occasions,” Lieberman said. “If any 
of those offers had been accepted, 
there would be no refugees.

Lieberman did not directly 

speak against divestment last 
year, 
though 
in 
response 
a 

CSG 
representative’s 
question, 

Lieberman did say the resolution 
would 
have 
furthered 
the 

larger Boycott, Divestment and 
Sanctions campaign against Israel.

During 
the 
Community 

Concerns portion of the meeting, 
speakers were heard in random 
order. The speakers included 
students both for and against the 

resolution.

Community Concerns lasted 

90 minutes instead of the usual 30 
minutes due to CSG voting twice 
to extend the time limit.

Speakers 
in 
favor 
of 
the 

resolution spoke about how they 
believe there is consensus that 
human rights are a universal right. 
They also emphasized that the 
resolution did not call for CSG to 
make a decision on divestment, 
but rather to support a University 
committee 
investigating 
the 

University’s investments.

Speakers against the resolution 

discussed 
the 
perceived 
lack 

of consensus on campus on the 
alleged violations. They also spoke 
about the issue being a divisive 
subject on campus. Speakers urged 
students to focus on dialogue 
between groups instead.

During 
the 
Executive 

Communications portion of the 
meeting, CSG President Bobby 
Dishell, a Public Policy senior, as 
well a CSG Vice President Emily 
Lustig, an LSA senior, said they 
were against the resolution.

“This resolution in no way 

embodies or is in concert with the 
University’s mission statement,” 
Dishell said.

SAFE introduced a similar 

proposal to the student assembly 
last March.

Last year, CSG initially voted to 

suspend the vote on the resolution 
indefinitely. This decision led 
to a sit-in at the CSG chambers. 
The following week former CSG 
President 
Michael 
Proppe, 
a 

current Business graduate student, 
motioned for the assembly to 
reexamine the resolution.

That year, CSG ultimately voted 

not to pass the resolution in a 25-9 
vote with five abstentions. This 
year’s resolution received six more 
votes in favor over last year.

The University has only divested 

twice in the past. In the first 
instance, the University divested 
from apartheid South Africa due 
to the “serious moral or ethical 
questions” raised by the investments 
made in South Africa at that time.

In 1999, the University divested 

from tobacco companies because 
of their distorted advertising 
and 
presentation 
of 
health 

information.

After the meeting concluded, 

members 
of 
SAFE 
gathered 

around the Cube in Regents Plaza 
and thanked the supporters before 
disbanding for the evening.

DIVEST
From Page 3A

Utah for one year, but the change 
he has been able to invoke in what 
he calls the “Post-Ellen” era, has 
been immense. When he began his 
job, he noticed there was already 
momentum to raise the standard 
for screening efficiency.

“The field wanted change, and 

I was ready to do some changing,” 
he said.

He said prior to his post, the Utah 

screening center was only open five 
days a week, delaying screening 
over the weekend and causing sick 
newborns to get sicker. Now, the 

center is open every day, allowing 
for a much smoother process.

The panelists concluded the 

panel by emphasizing that these 
newborn tests detect rare diseases 
and many pediatricians are not 
familiar with them, creating more 
room for error. Gabler said she 
had talked to parents who noticed 
abnormalities in their babies, and 
had doctors reassure them that 
everything was fine when their 
children were sick.

In addition to parents opting 

out of tests for religious reasons, 
individual states have control over 
which tests they conduct on babies, 
which can further complicate 
newborn health.

In an interview following the 

event, Gabler emphasized the 
importance of these tests and said 
patients can better advocate for 
themselves in these situations 
and demand the truth about the 
timeliness 
of 
their 
children’s 

screenings.

Public Health student Matthew 

Fillare said he found Gabler’s work 
impactful and important.

“It’s pretty cool that this is such a 

non-politicized subject as well, like 
it’s pretty easy to get people behind 
saving the lives of babies,” Fillare 
said. “It’s pretty objectively easy to 
do. Like someone said on the panel, 
sometimes journalism can have 
more of an effect than legislation.”

JOURNALIST
From Page 2A

