Kathleen C. Barnes Email & Phone Number

I’m a scientist with an academic career spanning >30 years focusing on disentangling the genetic underpinnings contributing of risk and morbidity associated with complex disease among ancestrally diverse populations across the Americas. In both academic and industry settings I have held leadership positions focused on population genomics health and clinical implementation of precision medicine by linking extensive electronic health record (EHR) data to ‘omics’ information to promote the development of predictive analytic tools, integrate these tools into routine health care, and expand prognostic and diagnostic capacity in health systems. I have initiated, led and contributed to multicenter, international genomics and multi-omics projects, including the 1000 Genome Project and the NIH-supported Consortium on Asthma among African-ancestry Populations in the Americas (CAAPA; 2011-present). As a result of these programs, my work has contributed significantly to broadening representation of traditionally underrepresented populations in public genomics databases. I have established and led health system and life science partnerships that cover end-to-end deployment of clinical applications towards individualized health. I am especially passionate about population health precision medicine tools such as polygenic risk scores (PRS), methylation risk scores (MRS), and pharmacogenomics, and engaging partners at health systems and within life science to integrate these tools into routine health care, tackling the reimbursement landscape in partnership with payers, and optimizing direct to consumer testing. My goal is to continue to build upon my academic legacy by unlocking the power of genetic diversity and drive the discovery of new therapeutics and a path towards wellness, ultimately improving health outcomes for all individuals.