Research Interests

Traditional genetic analysis identifies disease genes by correlating genotype with phenotype.  While this approach has successfully identified genes contributing to disease, it fails to describe how genes function as members of complex cellular networks. Genomic technologies and analytical methods have made it possible to determine how genetic variation impacts disease on a systems-level. These advances have led to the creation of a new discipline, referred to as systems genetics, which seeks to elucidate how genetic information is integrated, organized, and transmitted through molecular, cellular, and physiological networks.

Osteoporosis is a condition of low bone strength and increased risk of fracture. In the U.S., there are approximately 12 million people diagnosed with osteoporosis. Osteoporotic fractures are debilitating, costly (costing the U.S. health care system ~$18 billion) and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The Farber lab uses systems genetics to unravel the molecular basis of complex skeletal traits with the goal of developing a more comprehensive understanding of osteoporosis. Specifically, we use systems genetics to reverse engineer cellular networks that regulate skeletal phenotypes. Through the integration of genome-scale datasets using novel analytical strategies, we are able to develop hypotheses regarding the influence of genes and gene networks on bone function. The Farber lab tests these hypotheses using in vitro cell based assays and genetically modified mouse models.