Overview
The Loma Linda University (LLU) Center for Genomics was established in November 2013 with the recruitment of Charles Wang, MD, PhD, MPH, as the founding director of the Center. The LLU Center for Genomics is funded by the National Institutes of Health (1S10OD019960-01, Principal Investigator: Wang) through the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) to allow it to acquire the very first next-gen DNA sequencer, the Illumina NextSeq 550. The Center is also partially supported by a grant from the Ardmore Institute of Health and a generous gift from Dr. Charles A. Sims to allow the acquisition of a second next-gen DNA sequencer, the Illumina HiSeq 4000 system. The Center is now fully equipped with many cutting-edge and the state-of-the-art genomic and bioinformatics tools, and is capable of providing comprehensive support to studies involving genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics and even single-cell RNA-seq transcriptomics.
Mission
The mission of the Center for Genomics is to provide state-of-the-art genomic (e.g., next-generation sequencing), epigenomic, and bioinformatic tools to: 1) better understand the molecular mechanisms of human disease and health disparities from a genome-wide and systems biology approach; 2) identify novel biomarkers of and novel therapeutic targets for human disease while providing single-nucleotide resolution genomic and epigenomic data for precision medicine; and 3) define the health and lifestyle profile of the Loma Linda Blue Zone population at the genomic and epigenomic levels. The educational mission of the Center is to teach and train graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral scientists on systems biology involving genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.