The Genomics Services (GS) unit of the Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities (CCRHD), consists of two units: the Human Genetics and Genomics  Core lab, led by Carmen L. Cadilla, Ph.D. and the Molecular Biology Core lab, led by José Rodríguez-Medina, Ph.D. Instrumentation to perform molecular genetics  and genomics methods has been provided by the RCMI Program. Importantly, additional resources have been acquired through collaborations and partnerships with the Puerto Rico Science and Technology Trust (PRSTT); the Puerto Rico Clinical and Translational Research Consortium (PRCTRC) (U54MD007587-NIMHD, and the Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE P20GM103475-NIGMS). This consortium is known as the RCMI/PRCTRC/INBRE Genomics Translational Research Unit (GTRU).

The GTRU supports projects that contribute to the understanding of genetic disorders affecting individuals of Puerto Rican ancestry, by applying genomic technologies in the study of human diseases and therapy. The GTRU provides a range of services and expertise, including Next-Generation sequencing technologies, with Ion Proton and Ion Torrent instruments; Affymetrix microarray applications; real-time qPCR for expression analysis and Taqman Genotyping assays. Recently, the Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PRINBRE) Program approved funds to acquire a QuantStudio 6 Real Time PCR system and an Illumina iScan System, which supports high-throughput genotyping to DNA methylation analysis. The GTRU technician, Jessica Renta, is supported by RCMI funds. Dr. Cadilla serves as the Genomics Services (GS) Lead.

Overall Goal of Genomics Translational Research  

It is to function in a synergistic way to maximize the quality and productivity of the research projects proposed and the pilot projects funded, as well as link RCMI faculty and scholars with other researchers at the institution.