Pharmacogenomics Core

Overview

Pharmacogenomics is the study of the role of inheritance in individual variation in drug response — variation that can extend from potentially life-threatening adverse drug reactions at one end of the spectrum to lack of the desired therapeutic effect of the drug at the other. Although many factors, including age, sex, underlying disease or other drugs (drug interactions) can contribute to variation in drug response phenotypes, it is increasingly clear that genetic factors can also play an important role.

The goal of the Pharmacogenomics Core is to advise and assist investigators who are designing drug trials — or who are studying adverse drug reactions — with regard to research strategies that employ the latest genomic science to study the contribution of inheritance to variable drug response.

Services

The Pharmacogenomics Core offers both advising/consulting services and limited laboratory assistance.

Consulting services
Investigators interested in adding a pharmacogenomics component to their research protocol are encouraged to contact the Pharmacogenomics Core. Both junior and established investigators are welcome and there is no charge for advisory services.

The core can assist with projects of all sizes — from smaller, focused projects initiated by residents and research fellows to multidisciplinary, multicenter trials led by senior investigators.

Consulting relationships often begin with a telephone or in-person meeting with Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., core director. Depending on the nature of the study, investigators may be referred to other subject experts such as Christine Formea, Pharm.D., R.Ph., or Liewei Wang, M.D., Ph.D., for additional advice and/or assistance.

In the event that special pharmacogenomic expertise exists outside of Mayo Clinic, the Pharmacogenomics Core can help arrange collaborations with centers within the NIH Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN).

Laboratory services
The Pharmacogenomics Core can perform limited genotyping and/or CNV assays, as well as limited pharmacokinetic assays.

Accessing the core

An initial consultation can be scheduled by contacting Dr. Weinshilboum.

Fees

There is no charge for Pharmacogenomics Core services. If an investigator needs laboratory services beyond what the core can provide, then assistance with obtaining those services or applying for grant support can be provided.

Location

Gonda 19

Contacts

Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., Director
Dr. Weinshilboum is a leader in pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics who also directs the Mayo-NIH Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN) Center — a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional component of a nationwide NIH-supported pharmacogenomics research effort.

Liewei Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Director
Dr. Wang trained in both medicine and laboratory-based pharmacologic science, always with a focus on pharmacogenomics. She offers advice on the use of genomic techniques and on functional genomic aspects of pharmacogenomic studies, an area in which she has extensive background and experience.

Christine Formea, Pharm.D., R.Ph., Associate Director
Dr. Formea has extensive training, background and expertise in the pharmacokinetic aspects of pharmacogenomic studies. She can advise on drug metabolite assays and pharmacokinetic analyses within pharmacogenomic studies.

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