Parents and communities play an important role in identifying and overcoming barriers to the widespread dissemination of genomic screening for public health. By working with parents and caregivers we hope to make the ABGS program responsive to the needs of all North Carolina families and communities.
The Genomic Education Learning Modules
are co-developed with the Community Research Board (CRB) and are designed to provide a basic understanding of genetics and genomics and their connection to age-based genomic screening. Information presented in the Modules are also available in various formats (brochures, infographics, video, comic books) to facilitate accessibility and uptake across different learning media.
Please let us know what you think about our content by filling out
our module feedback form! All information about this form will be used to support the improvement of these modules and other educational resources.
Genomic Education Modules
Module #1: “DNA – What is it and What Does it Do?”
Comic Slides
This module highlights the uniqueness of your DNA and how it works in your body.
Learning Goals: By understanding more about your DNA, you will know:
- What genes are
- How genes affect traits within families
- The connection between genes and disease
Module #2: “How Traits are Inherited”
Comic Slides
This module highlights how DNA is inherited and how DNA differs between people.
Learning Goals: By understanding more about your DNA, you will know how:
- How DNA varies between people
- How traits are inherited
Module #3: “Your Genes and Your Health”
Comic Slides
This module highlights the connection between genes and health by explaining how diseases can occur due to differences in DNA.
Learning Goals: By knowing about your genes, you will understand:
- How genes are connected to health
- Types of differences that can occur in DNA
- How changes in your genes can affect your health
Module #4: “Genetic Testing and Screening”
Comic Slides
This module highlights the ways that you can use these genetic healthcare tools to better understand your genetics.
Learning Goals: By knowing about these tools, you will understand:
- Genetic testing and genetic screening and how are they different
- What kinds of genetic information we can learn
- Different types of genetic tests provide different types of results
Module #5: “Safeguards in Genetics and Genomics Research”- Coming Soon
This module explains what genetic research is and what protections are in place for research participants.
Learning Goals: In this module you will learn about:
- Types of information used in genetic and genomic research
- Overview of prior harms in biomedical research that led to changes in research participant protections
- Informed consent and current safeguards protecting human research participants
Module #6: “Possible Risks and Benefits of Genetic Screening”- Coming Soon
In this module you will review the upsides and downsides of genetic screening on different part of society.
Learning Goals: By looking through this topic you will understand:
- Examples of how genetic screening can affect public health
- Multilevel benefits and risks of genetic screening
- Informed consent and decision-making
Module #7: “All About Age-Based Genomic Screening”- Coming Soon
This module walks through what Age-Based Genomic Screening is and how it works in the clinic.
Learning Goals: By reading through this module you will see the:
- Description of ABGS approach
- Implementation of the ABGS pilot study
- Example conditions included in screen and what a participating family can expect during the screening process
The project described was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, through Grant Award Number UM1TR004406. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
To request a presentation for your community group or our participation in your community event, please contact us at ABGS@unc.edu