GVSU, renowned biologist explore what’s next in healthcare

The goal for future healthcare systems will be defined by the four P’s —  predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory — according to biologist Leroy Hood. 

Hood should know. His research and technological achievements have advanced scientists’ understanding of human DNA and contributed to landmark advances in genomic research.

GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella welcomed Hood to Grand Valley for a conversation about the future of healthcare at the Seidman Center on the City Campus.

Their discussion headlined a series of GVSU-hosted events during this year’s Tech Week, the annual six-day conference which celebrates technology, education, innovation and economic development across Grand Rapids.

"We can generate data from you and be able to do two really important things: One, optimize your health, and two, help you avoid disease,” Hood said. 

“This is the essence of a new kind of healthcare coming within the next 10 years,” Hood said. “It can give you a health span of 100 years or more.” 

Mantella asked Hood what advice he would offer to a region such as West Michigan that is eager to pursue big ideas and projects, or to educators looking to make an impact.

“Tech Week is about coming together for shared learning,” Mantella said. “You asked big, bold questions and felt confident to pursue them.

“Are there other principles that guided you and your tenacity to what would work with these problems?” 

Hood said it comes down to having confidence in your ideas and the determination to pursue them.

“You need determined optimism to push those ideas through,” Hood said. “You want to look for challenging things, and not just for the sake of being challenging, but to be assured you’re moving into territory that’s unfraught. Think big.” 

Hood’s own big idea was instrumental in advancing the analysis of DNA. His work on automated DNA sequencing laid the groundwork to make large-scale genomic research possible and contributed to the technological foundation of the Human Genome Project .

The Human Genome Project mapped the sequence of the human genome, making significant advances in biomedical research. Thanks to the Human Genome Project, physicians can tailor treatment to a patient’s specific genetic code and also help researchers track gene mutations more efficiently which leads to quicker diagnoses. 

Hood said the next evolution in healthcare and medicine involves advancing the results of the Human Genome Project toward the Human Phenome Initiative . He used a musical analogy to explain the relationship between the genome and the phenome.

“Your genome is like a piece of music a composer has written,” Hood said. “Your phenome is you being the conductor that’s conducting the music. You decide how well that music plays out.” 

The phenome encompasses the observable characteristics of an individual, including traits influenced by genetics, environment and lifestyle. Hood said it can provide insight into a person’s health and help identify opportunities to prevent ailments or disease before they develop.

“For example, we can detect your likelihood of ACL tears, and they are exercises you can do to avoid that,” Hood said. “It makes sense to know what your limitations are. 

“There are thousands of possibilities that we can open up, and it’s going to be very exciting. The most valuable resource every human has is their health.”