research
Research is an important component of training in the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Combined Pediatric–Medical Genetics Residency Program. Advances in genomics continue to transform the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disease, and our program prepares residents to become thoughtful clinicians who contribute to the future of precision medicine through scientific discovery, innovation, and scholarly inquiry.
Residents complete a mentored scholarly project during residency and are encouraged to pursue research that aligns with their individual career goals. Opportunities span basic science, translational, clinical, computational, and population genetics, with mentorship available from recognized investigators across the University of Washington, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and affiliated research centers.
Our faculty lead investigations in numerous areas of human genetics and genomics, including:
- Rare genetic disorders and novel disease gene discovery
- Genomic diagnostics and clinical sequencing
- Neurogenetics and neurodevelopmental disorders
- Cardiovascular, metabolic, cancer, and connective tissue genetics
- Biochemical genetics and inherited metabolic diseases
- Prenatal and reproductive genetics
- Gene regulation, functional genomics, and genome biology
- Precision medicine and implementation science
- Bioinformatics, computational genomics, and artificial intelligence applications in genetics
- Ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic medicine
Many trainees present their work at regional and national meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Dedicated scholarly time, faculty mentorship, and institutional resources support residents throughout the research process.
For residents interested in careers as physician-scientists, the University of Washington offers exceptional opportunities for continued research training following residency. Graduates may pursue advanced research fellowships, graduate coursework, or the NIH-funded Medical Genetics T32 Research Training Program, which provides intensive mentored research training in basic, translational, and clinical genetics for eligible trainees.
Located within one of the nation's leading biomedical research communities, our residents benefit from a collaborative environment where clinicians, laboratory scientists, computational biologists, and public health investigators work together to advance the understanding and treatment of genetic disease. Whether your interests lie in laboratory discovery, clinical investigation, genomic technologies, or improving patient outcomes, our program provides the mentorship, resources, and flexibility to help you develop into an independent investigator and lifelong scholar.
For more information on our NIH-funded Medical Genetics T32 Research Program, please contact:
Andrew Stergachis, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Medical Genetics
Associate Professor, Genome Sciences
Associate Division Head of Research, Medical Genetics
absterga@uw.edu