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How does DNA Determine Someone’s Predisposition to Disease?

Our department is dedicated to graduate training in human genetics research (including molecular, statistical, and bioinformatics research), public health genetics, and genetic counseling.

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Degree Programs
The Department of Human Genetics offers four master’s level programs and two doctoral programs.
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Admissions
Learn about the admissions process and requirements for the Department of Human Genetics.
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Research & Practice
Get involved in our research centers, where you can join a research project or help translate findings into practice and policy.
Highlights

Meet Our Faculty

Meet the faculty who will teach and mentor you, and learn about the innovative research projects they’re directing.

Faculty

Hiring Faculty!

We invite applications for two positions at the level of assistant or associate professor outside of the tenure stream. These full-time positions will be involved in the leadership of the MS program in Genetic Counseling. Candidates may focus primarily on the educational mission of the department or may have a substantial interest in teaching, fieldwork/clinical practice coordination and supervision, admissions, and/or research.  Application review will begin November 15.

We also seek applicants for a tenure-stream assistant or associate professor or tenured associate professor to contribute to our research, teaching, and service missions. We welcome outstanding applicants from all quantitative genetics/genomics fields to reinforce or expand the department’s strengths in statistical and computational genetics/genomics, genetic epidemiology, and bioinformatics. Application review begins December 15.

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faculty teaching and We're Hiring

News

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Gene ‘silencer’ in junk DNA prevents fatal neurological disease

“The function of gene silencers is only now being understood and, in this case, it is allowing us to tell some patients who previously would have been given a fatal prognosis that they will not die of a cruel and debilitating disease,” said senior author Dr. Quasar Padiath, professor and chair of the Department of Human Genetics.

Eli Harter

Student Spotlight: Eli Harter

Talking to Public Health Genetics MPH student Eli (Eh-lee) Harter is an engaging experience—be ready to think deeply and take notes. Harter’s perspective is both insightful and thought-provoking, shaped by a diverse research background in genetics and applied sciences.

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Public Health and Engineering team up on five research projects

Pitt’s School of Public Health, Swanson School of Engineering, and Clinical and Translational Science Institute have joined up to award $450,000 to five transdisciplinary pilot investigations focused on precision public health, a field that uses data science to develop targeted interventions by person, place and time. 

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Events

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