Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology
The Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology is a robust and dynamic division, innovating across its research and clinical missions to integrate genome variation and function to better define biological mechanisms of human disease.
A leader in personalized medicine, the division aims to understand how basic molecular, biochemical and cellular processes are altered in various pathological conditions, seeking to identify novel therapeutic interventions for human diseases.
The division is closely tied to the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, which leads the nation in mapping the complex interactions between our genome and human health.
State-of-the-art research facilities
Equipped with advanced research tools including the electronic health record (EHR) and the world-class biobank, BioVU, our faculty members are advancing knowledge of the common genetic determinants of cancer, congenital neuropathies, heart disease and more.
Division faculty work jointly with colleagues in the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to support the Hereditary Cancer Clinic for treating patients and families who have an inherited predisposition to various malignancies.
Advancing human health with new discoveries
Vanderbilt has seen tremendous growth in the demand for genetic evaluation in the clinical domain, particularly in the Cancer Clinic. The Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology has met that need with a revitalized clinical genetic counseling program, telehealth consultation, and a unique partnership with the Hematology and Oncology division to provide point-of-care testing.
Exemplifying our team’s role in making health care personal, we have partnered with physicians and scientists across Vanderbilt to greatly expand the Potocsnak Center for Undiagnosed and Rare Diseases, helping patients with previously intractable illnesses achieve health.
Faculty in the division lead highly collaborative research centers and labs that bridge basic and translational science to explore new relationships between disease susceptibility and human genetics and to understand the mechanisms of drug action in humans.
Excellence in genetic medicine and clinical pharmacology education
The division supports the Human Genetics PhD program, which trains students to explore scientific questions in genetics with an emphasis on human disease, and the Masters of Genetic Counseling program, which prepares counselors to meet the challenge of a rapidly changing paradigm of health care.
Supported by two NIH-funded T32 training grants, the division is dedicated to training fellows in the Clinical Pharmacology and Autonomic Disorders fellowship programs through clinical practice, research and structured mentorship.
Director, Division of Genetic Medicine and Clincal Pharmacology
Department of Medicine
Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Bick a physician-scientist working in the field of human genomics, and his scientific observations have advanced the understanding of the genetic basis for cardiovascular disease, characterized molecular disease mechanisms, and identified both the promise and limitations of translating genomic findings into routine medical practice.