Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Crawford’s laboratory accesses large-scale epidemiologic and clinical data to characterize common and rare genetic variants associated with human diseases. A particular interest is in identifying pleiotropy (when a single gene or variant influences two or more seemingly unrelated traits) and environmental modifiers of genetic associations, including pharmacogenomics (the study of how genetic variants affect a person's response to drugs). She has played leading roles in NIH-funded consortia dedicated to developing the infrastructure for national studies emphasizing diversity and drawing from electronic health records integrated with genomics. Dr. Crawford promotes the cultivation of women and minorities in STEM education and research, recognizing that perspectives and findings from diverse studies can unlock why people with diverse genetic, behavioral, and environmental backgrounds can have varied risks for diseases and outcomes to interventions or treatments.