From Genes to Cells to Diseases

The Genotype-Tissue Expression project

The medical school professors were awarded the grants as part of a large-scale National Institutes of Health program to study the biology of how physical activity improves health.

Data from fitbands and smart watches, when combined with genetic information, could be a powerful tool in medical research.

Stephen Montgomery studies genetics and runs the Montgomery Lab at Stanford University. He's particularly interested in how and why genes, of which we have over 20,000 in our human genome, turn on and off and vary from person to person. From the production of insulin to turning your hair grey, knowing how our genes function and change over time could be used to help us fight illness and prevent diseases in the future.