DANA C. CRAWFORD, PHD

Associate Director for Population and Diversity Research

Dana Craw­ford, PhD, is Pro­fes­sor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences and Associate Director for Population and Diversity Research in the Cleveland Insti­tute for Com­pu­ta­tional Biol­ogy. She also has a secondary appointment in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences. Dr. Craw­ford received her Ph.D. at Emory Uni­ver­sity in genet­ics and mol­e­c­u­lar biol­ogy in 2000 and then trained as a post-doctoral fel­low as an Epi­demic Intel­li­gence Ser­vice Offi­cer at the Cen­ters for Dis­ease Con­trol and Pre­ven­tion (2000–2002) and as a senior fel­low at the Uni­ver­sity of Washington’s Depart­ment of Genome Sci­ences (2002–2006). Prior to her most cur­rent posi­tion, Dr. Craw­ford spent eight years as tenure-track fac­ulty in the Depart­ment of Mol­e­c­u­lar Phys­i­ol­ogy and Bio­physics and Inves­ti­ga­tor in the Cen­ter for Human Genet­ics Research at Van­der­bilt Uni­ver­sity. As a genetic epi­demi­ol­o­gist at CWRU, Dr. Crawford’s broad research inter­ests include apply­ing genetic vari­a­tion data to large-scale epi­demi­o­logic and clin­i­cal cohorts to bet­ter under­stand human genotype-phenotype asso­ci­a­tions with an empha­sis on diverse populations.

Recent Publications

  1. Conti, DV, Darst, BF, Moss, LC, Saunders, EJ, Sheng, X, Chou, A, Schumacher, FR, Olama, AAA, Benlloch, S, Dadaev, T et al.. Publisher Correction: Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction. Nat Genet 2021; : . PubMed PMID:33473200 .
  2. Conti, DV, Darst, BF, Moss, LC, Saunders, EJ, Sheng, X, Chou, A, Schumacher, FR, Olama, AAA, Benlloch, S, Dadaev, T et al.. Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction. Nat Genet 2021; 53 (1): 65-75. PubMed PMID:33398198 .
  3. Cooke Bailey, JN, Bush, WS, Crawford, DC. Editorial: The Importance of Diversity in Precision Medicine Research. Front Genet 2020; 11 : 875. PubMed PMID:33005167 PubMed Central PMC7479241.
  4. Ong, E, Wang, LL, Schaub, J, O'Toole, JF, Steck, B, Rosenberg, AZ, Dowd, F, Hansen, J, Barisoni, L, Jain, S et al.. Modelling kidney disease using ontology: insights from the Kidney Precision Medicine Project. Nat Rev Nephrol 2020; 16 (11): 686-696. PubMed PMID:32939051 .
  5. Karunamuni, RA, Huynh-Le, MP, Fan, CC, Thompson, W, Eeles, RA, Kote-Jarai, Z, Muir, K, UKGPCS Collaborators, Lophatananon, A, Tangen, CM et al.. African-specific improvement of a polygenic hazard score for age at diagnosis of prostate cancer. Int J Cancer 2021; 148 (1): 99-105. PubMed PMID:32930425 .
  6. McDonough, CW, Babcock, K, Chucri, K, Crawford, DC, Bian, J, Modave, F, Cooper-DeHoff, RM, Hogan, WR. Optimizing identification of resistant hypertension: Computable phenotype development and validation. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2020; 29 (11): 1393-1401. PubMed PMID:32844549 PubMed Central PMC7754782.
  7. Darst, BF, Wan, P, Sheng, X, Bensen, JT, Ingles, SA, Rybicki, BA, Nemesure, B, John, EM, Fowke, JH, Stevens, VL et al.. A Germline Variant at 8q24 Contributes to Familial Clustering of Prostate Cancer in Men of African Ancestry. Eur Urol 2020; 78 (3): 316-320. PubMed PMID:32409115 PubMed Central PMC7805560.
  8. Pendergrass, SA, Buyske, S, Jeff, JM, Frase, A, Dudek, S, Bradford, Y, Ambite, JL, Avery, CL, Buzkova, P, Deelman, E et al.. A phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study reveals potential pleiotropy in African Americans. PLoS One 2019; 14 (12): e0226771. PubMed PMID:31891604 PubMed Central PMC6938343.
  9. Crawford, DC, Lin, J, Cooke Bailey, JN, Kinzy, T, Sedor, JR, O'Toole, JF, Bush, WS. Frequency of ClinVar Pathogenic Variants in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Surveyed for Return of Research Results at a Cleveland Public Hospital. Pac Symp Biocomput 2020; 25 : 575-586. PubMed PMID:31797629 PubMed Central PMC6931908.
  10. Bush, WS, Cooke Bailey, JN, Beno, MF, Crawford, DC. Bridging the Gaps in Personalized Medicine Value Assessment: A Review of the Need for Outcome Metrics across Stakeholders and Scientific Disciplines. Public Health Genomics 2019; 22 (1-2): 16-24. PubMed PMID:31454805 PubMed Central PMC6752968.
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Featured Publications

Using Electronic Health Records to Generate Phenotypes for Research

Sarah A. Pendergrass and Dana C. Crawford Electronic health records contain patient-level data collected during and for clinical care. Data within the electronic health record include diagnostic billing codes, procedure codes, vital signs, laboratory test results, clinical imaging, and physician notes. With repeated clinic visits, these data are longitudinal, providing important information on disease development, […]

Local genetic ancestry in CDKN2B-AS1 is associated with primary open-angle glaucoma in an African American cohort extracted from de-identified electronic health records.

Restrepo NA, Laper S, Farber-Eger E, Crawford DC. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the most prevalent clinical subtype of glaucoma in the United States, affects African Americans at a higher rate compared with European Americans. Risk factors identified for POAG include increased age and family history, […]

Dana on Twitter

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Dr. Dana Crawford 6 hours ago

test Twitter Media - https://t.co/ZuxOeRREZx
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Dr. Dana Crawford 15 hours ago

No pseudoscience here! Thrilled to have been invited by @clschuerger and @CWRU Women in Sciences and Humanities Earning Doctorates (WISHED) for last week's early evening discussion of big data and bias in research and in life.

test Twitter Media - No pseudoscience here! Thrilled to have been invited by @clschuerger and @CWRU Women in Sciences and Humanities Earning Doctorates (WISHED) for last week's early evening discussion of big data and bias in research and in life. https://t.co/ALStV9SeLd
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Dr. Dana Crawford 2 days ago

Putting real science to meaningful practice: @CWRU is now an official vaccination site for the Cleveland area. case.edu/vaccine/ #COVID19

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Dr. Dana Crawford 2 days ago

So proud to be associated with a scientist who applies her expertise and rigor in all her endeavors e.g., award winning "Dat Rona" episode dispelling harmful lies and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 severity and vaccines. #COVID19 tinyurl.com/czmzmza twitter.com/inthosegenespo…

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Muin J. Khoury 4 days ago

Genomics is an essential addition to the public health response to rare diseases. #RareDiseaseDay blogs.cdc.gov/genomics/2017/… Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Dr. Jay Electronica 1 week ago

Meanwhile (unbeknownst to me) at @AstraZeneca I’m hanging on the Black History in Science wall next to the Vice President @kamalaharris 🧬🧬🧬. . Happy Black History Month✊🏽 Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Dr. Dana Crawford 2 weeks ago

East Carolina University's @DrEricSoule is performing a survey of African American/Black scientists to better understand what barriers may exist in serving on NIH study sections. Check out hhp.ecu.edu/hep/hbtrl/ for more information on how to participate if you are interested.

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National Human Genome Research Institute 2 months ago

At @genome_gov, we believe genomics cannot continue to thrive without people from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented researchers and clinicians. Our new action agenda details our goals and objectives for building a more #diversegenomicsworkforce by 2030. Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Jason H. Moore, PhD 2 months ago

Be sure and attend the Translational #Bioinformatics workshop at #PSB2021 on Thursday from 1-4 ET! We have an amazing lineup of speakers including @MarzyehGhassemi, Jonathan Haines, @inthosegenespod, & @dokyoon_kim with a panel discussion. upibi.org/tbworkshop/ Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Dr. Dana Crawford 2 months ago

@joanneberghout And a lively Q&A, I might add!

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Dr. Marylyn D. Ritchie, PhD 2 months ago

Well Toto, it looks like we are not in Kansas anymore... Or for the PSB attendees, we're not in Hawaii this time. I miss you all. But let's get into our great science from the safety of our homes. Looking forward to PSB 2022 - hopefully back on the island! Aloha, friends. #PSB21 twitter.com/PacSymBiocomp/… Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Joanne Berghout 2 months ago

We're live! Join our first session "Computational Challenges and Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicine" @CaturDNA @RoxanaDaneshjou @ProfLHunter @MarthaBulyk @LukaszPK @jonc101x @gregorymcinnes #psb21 #psb2021 twitter.com/PacSymBiocomp/… Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Roxana Daneshjou MD/PhD 2 months ago

Putting the finishing touches on the introduction for our @PacSymBiocomp virtual session tomorrow! Really excited for the talks and posters on Computational Challenges and Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicine. #PSB2021 Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

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Dr. Dana Crawford 2 months ago

It's January and time for some @PacSymBiocomp 2021! Don your best aloha and join us for the first session "Computational Challenges and Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicine" Tuesday at 8am PT! @kidzik @olgafan @bulyk @joanneberghout

test Twitter Media - It's January and time for some @PacSymBiocomp 2021! Don your best aloha and join us for the first session "Computational Challenges and Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicine" Tuesday at 8am PT! @kidzik @olgafan @bulyk @joanneberghout https://t.co/a4k9vIhJoV
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Josh Currie 3 months ago

Who did this? 😂 Retweeted by Dr. Dana Crawford

test Twitter Media - RT @_Josh_Currie: Who did this? 😂 https://t.co/cmdNej8Dzz
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Dr. Dana Crawford 3 months ago

Humbled to be named alongside such brilliant human genetics and genomics colleagues in this year's AAAS Fellows list. Thanks to all those who trained and support me @emorygmb @uwgenome @GeneticsSociety @Cleveland_ICB @CWRUSOM twitter.com/aaas/status/13…

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Dr. Dana Crawford 4 months ago

@inthosegenespod @stephwen @EimearEKenny You and me both!

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Dr. Dana Crawford 4 months ago

@inthosegenespod @stephwen @EimearEKenny Bolus!

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Dr. Dana Crawford 4 months ago

Looks like @GeneticsSociety Dr. Pulliam is doing double duty today! #ABRCMS2020 #CWRUSOM twitter.com/bgsocwru/statu…

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Dr. Dana Crawford 4 months ago

I missed the talk but was able to join the Q&A. Excellent career advice and nothing but the COVID scientific facts from @KizzyPhD on emerging vaccine efficacy data, SARS-CoV-2 mutation rates, and more at #ABRCMS2020 twitter.com/FutureDrSLove/…

Affiliations

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Curriculum vitae