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About Us

The Center for Transdisciplinary Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research in Translational Genomics (CT2G) was established in 2013 as an exploratory Center of Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research (CEER) with funding from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The CT2G is a collaboration between Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research, the University of California at San Francisco, and the University of California Hastings, College of the Law. The center brings together bioethicists, clinicians, lawyers, and scientists from different disciplines to identify and examine the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of translating genomic findings into clinical care.

A decade after the mapping of the human genome, the translation of emerging genomic findings into prevention, clinical care, and public health is the highest priority. Translation has been defined as occurring along a continuum from scientific discovery at one end to population health outcomes at the other end (1). The focus of CT2G is to a) examine ELSI and policy concerns across the translational continuum, b) identify policies, processes, and structures to address these concerns within the context of an integrated health care delivery system, and c) train the next generation of ELSI-aware scientists and clinicians. 

CT2G has three main goals over the next three years: 
1) Create a strong intellectual community spanning disciplines and institutions engaged in identifying and deliberating about emerging ELSI issues in translational genomics. 

2) Convene joint working groups to address critical issues in translational genomics. These working groups will be focused on three critical areas: 

• Interrogating the changing boundaries between research and clinical care 
• Examining the role of sex/gender and race/ethnicity in the translation of precision medicine into practice
• Creating strategies for adaptive governance of whole genome data used in research and practice

3) Plan and initiate a program in ELSI education focused on pre-doctoral students and clinicians. The cornerstone of this program will be a one-year ELSI fellowship for clinicians from multiple fields. 

At the end of the three year planning period, CT2G aims to serve as a national model for identifying and analyzing ELSI issues across the translational genomics continuum and defining policies and processes for addressing these concerns.