Biography
Dr. Crooks is a board-certified clinical molecular and cytogeneticist and Director of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) Biobank, an institutional initiative for the development of sample cohorts and genetic and health record datasets for research and clinical use. With over 200,000 participants from across the United States, the CAP-accredited CCPM Biobank represents one of the largest and most diverse clinical biorepository cohorts generated to date. Dr. Crooks’ primary research interests include evaluating metrics of population-based genetic screening and return of clinically-actionable genetic test results, including pharmacogenetics and high-impact pathogenic constitutional variants, to advance precision medicine and improve patient outcomes.
Track Co-Chair:
Mary Relling, St. Jude
Pharmacists have long recognized that using unique patient characteristics to guide pharmacotherapy decision-making can improve drug response and mitigate drug-associated risks. Age, weight, and dietary habits were among the first patient-specific characteristics used to individualize pharmacotherapy. As technologies advanced, analytic tools that measure surrogate markers of liver and renal function, together with drug concentrations in biological fluids, were adopted to optimize therapeutic regimens. Cutting-edge genomic technologies are now being integrated into patient care for the selection of targeted therapies and identification of those at increased risk of poor pharmacotherapy outcomes. We’re excited to bring together experts who are advancing pharmacogenomics at scale through cutting edge clinical implementation, research, and education.