Admixture Mapping of Coronary Heart Disease and Associated Metabolomic Markers - Dr. Cruz is a practicing cardiologist with an interest in investigating the genetic underpinnings of circulating biomarkers and their association with health and disease. Dr. Cruz’s research interests primarily focus on understanding how varied genetic ancestry plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Traditional genetic analyses are not designed to account for the relatively complex genetic makeup that African Americans (AA) have, due to their African ancestry and admixture with other populations (primarily European). This project aims to identify the circulating metabolites that are associated with coronary heart disease, investigate the portions of the genome that are of African or European continental origin, and use these correlations to identify specific genes that are associated with either African or European ancestry, and coronary heart disease. Through intensive laboratory and didactic training in metabolomics and genetics, Dr. Cruz will harness the resources of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and associated institutions to examine a disease of significant societal impact. Situated in a multi-disciplinary laboratory, Dr. Cruz will take advantage of novel metabolomic technologies and novel genetic analytical strategies to better decipher how genetic ancestry influences levels of circulating metabolites. He will use admixture mapping techniques to better understand how the unique genomic structure of recently admixed populations may influence baseline circulating levels of metabolites. Using plasma samples from AA participants of the Jackson Heart Study, metabolomics will be used to measure levels of circulating metabolites and assess which metabolites are associated with incident coronary heart disease, with over 15 years of follow up. Clinical traits associated with coronary heart disease like, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and hyperlipidemia will also be analyzed. Using admixture mapping, regions of potential association between the metabolites of interest and distinct ancestries (African, European) in the genome will be identified, allowing for higher power in identifying specific associated variants in those regions. As precision medicine offers the promise of more personalized care, it is incumbent on the biomedical research community to take into account the unique genetic makeup of all members of society. This project aims to offer specific pathophysiologic information for admixed groups of people and provide a framework to better take into account different ancestral groups in genetic analyses. Ultimately Dr. Cruz intends on using his research efforts to provide better medical care to admixed individuals from all ancestral groups, and in turn improve the health of society as a whole.