Access

insight

Nature 429, 475-477 (27 May 2004) | doi:10.1038/nature02628

commentary The case for a US prospective cohort study of genes and environment

Francis S. Collins1

Top

Information from the Human Genome Project will be vital for defining the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to health and disease. Well-designed case–control studies of people with and without a particular disease are essential for this, but rigorous and unbiased conclusions about the causes of diseases and their population-wide impact will require a representative population to be monitored over time (a prospective cohort study). The time is right for the United States to consider such a project.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Confronting ethnicity-specific disease risk

Nature Genetics News and Views (01 Jan 2006)