Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Human and Molecular Genetics research activities are multifaceted, focusing on current important areas of medical and basic research with specific emphasis on translation of discoveries in basic science into the clinic to treat and prevent significant pathological conditions including but not limited to cancer, neurodegeneration and infectious diseases. HMG Department Areas of concentration include molecular genetics, quantitative genetics, developmental genetics, cancer genetics, tumor biology and metastasis, cell signaling in normal and cancer development, hematopoiesis, cellular differentiation, model organisms (including zebra fish, drosophila and mice) for studying abnormal physiology, genetic epidemiology, cancer gene therapy, mechanism(s) and therapy of neurodegeneration, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and genetic counseling/medical genetics.