Investigator, Asst Prof (M) Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Mass General Research Institute

Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School

cultural diversity; genetics; genomics; polygenic risk scores

Alicia R. Martin, PhD, is an Assistant Investigator at the Analytic & Translational Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute affiliated with the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and the Medical and Population Genetics Program.

As a population and statistical geneticist, her research examines the role of human history in shaping global genetic and phenotypic diversity. Given vast Eurocentric study biases, she investigates the generalizability of knowledge gained from large-scale genetic studies across globally diverse populations.

She is particularly focused on ensuring that the translation of genetic technologies via polygenic risk does not exacerbate health disparities induced by these study biases.

Towards this end, she is developing statistical methods, community resources for genomics, and research capacity for multi-ancestry studies particularly in underrepresented populations.