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Kurt D Christensen, Ph.D.

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Overview
A future where genomic information is readily available is rapidly approaching. Whether this information improves public health by improving patient care and empowering prevention, or whether it diminishes public health by motivating unnecessary follow-up testing and screening is unclear. I use my training in health economics, biochemistry, public health, and health behavior and health education to address these issues by focusing on three interrelated questions: 1) How do patients and physicians respond, behaviorally and psychologically, to information generated from emerging genomic technologies like whole genome sequencing? 2) What is the healthcare service and economic impact of integrating genomics into the everyday practice of medicine? 3) How can programs be improved to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of genomic testing? The answers to these questions are essential as healthcare providers and policymakers make decisions about how to offer and support new genomic services.

Research
The research activities and funding listed below are automatically derived from NIH ExPORTER and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing items. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
  1. R01HD114807 (CHRISTENSEN, KURT DEREK) Sep 1, 2024 - May 31, 2029
    NIH/NICHD and NIH/NHGRI
    Long-term Impact and Value of Infant Genomic Sequencing (LIVING)
    Role Description: We will conduct key-informant interviews to understand the needs and concerns of clinicians, health system leaders, and coordinators of newborn screening programs regarding how newborn genomic sequencing should be implemented to complement traditional newborn screening, and what systems need to be designed to maximize their utility over time for children and their families. We will also conduct follow-up studies of individuals who participated in prior clinical trials of newborn genomic sequencing to document how health care providers and families utilized genomic information as children aged, and to provide insight about the benefits and harms that may have accrued. In addition, we will develop a mathematical model to project the lifelong benefits, harms and cost-effectiveness of different strategies for reanalyzing existing genomic information over time. The goal of this study is to provide critically-needed evidence about how to implement newborn genomic sequencing, manage findings, and reanalyze data to ensure newborn genomic sequencing fulfills its promise as a tool that provides lifelong benefits to individuals and advances public health.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  2. R01HD114807 (CHRISTENSEN, KURT DEREK) Sep 1, 2024 - May 31, 2029
    NIH
    Long-term Impact and Value of Infant Genomic Sequencing (LIVING)
    Role: Principal Investigator
  3. OT2OD031925 (CHRISTENSEN, KURT DEREK ;HENDRICKS-STURRUP, RACHELE) Sep 15, 2022 - Aug 31, 2023
    NIH
    Developing a Grassroot Engagement Framework to Overcome Barriers to African American Participation in Precision Medicine Research
    Role Description: The overall aim of this grant is to refine and finalize a set of actionable engagement strategies, preliminarily developed in a pilot project based on African American nurse perspectives, for engaging African American communities in precision medicine research.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  4. U01TR003201 (GREEN, ROBERT C.) Jul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2025
    NIH
    Implementation of Whole Genome Sequencing as Screening in a Diverse Cohort of Healthy Infants
    Role Description: The goal of this multi-site randomized controlled trial is to implement early childhood genomic screening in "real-world" primary care settings with families with diverse racial backgrounds. This study will evaluate the medical an psychosocial impact of genomic sequencing on children and their families.
    Role: Co-Investigator
  5. R01HL143295 (GREEN, ROBERT C.) Jul 1, 2019 - Jun 30, 2024
    NIH/NHLBI
    Return of Genomic Results and Estimating Penetrance in Population-Based Cohorts
    Role Description: The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop and implement a genomic return of result process in the Framingham Heart Study and Jackson Heart Study cohorts and explore associated medical, behavioral and economic outcomes. We will also develop ways to automate and streamline genomic variant interpretation at scale, and develop analyses to aid assessment of penetrance.
    Role: Co-Investigator

Bibliographic
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Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.