The Human Genome Project

Madame Chairman and members of the Committee, we are pleased to appear before you today to discuss our programs at the National Institutes of Health. Revolutionary advances in our understanding of human genetics have opened a window on the chemical quirks in our genes that make us susceptible to many devastating diseases including cancer. Over the past two decades, using the tools of recombinant DNA technology, researchers identified a number of 'single gene' diseases, in which an alteration in just one gene may cause disease. Most human disease, however, is thought to arise from the complex interplay between inherited genetic alterations and the environment. Analyzing these complexities and teasing apart the genetic and environmental components involved represents both a daunting challenge and an important scientific opportunity. This challenging research is done using a wide range of approaches, including basic research in the laboratory, clinical applications, translation to community practitioners, and research into behavioral and lifestyle factors, and is supported across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the many institutions across the country that receive funding from NIH through a rigorous competitive process.