Welcome to the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Research. Our highly diverse team of researchers, clinicians, and educators draw on expertise from a number of specialties to advance knowledge of genetics and genomics, translate that knowledge to advances in diagnostics and clinical care, and train the next generation of experts.
Translational medicine is a term used to describe the "translation" of laboratory research findings into proof of concept in humans, ultimately leading to advances in the diagnosis, prediction, treatment, and possible prevention of disease. Human genetics encompasses the study of human genetic variation and its impact on health.
Penn Medicine is a leader in translational therapeutics, as well as the application of human genetics to clinical medicine. There is tremendous opportunity to harness the knowledge that can be gained from the human genome to optimize long-term health and provide information that will be relevant to future generations. In addition to serving the needs of patients with identified disease or genetic risk factors, we work in partnership with experts across the Health System to gain new knowledge and innovate toward evidence-based, genome-first medicine.
Our clinical programs bring together multidisciplinary teams to serve a wide variety of clinical needs. Nationally renowned, board-certified physicians are supported by a team of genetic counselors who provide in-depth patient education and counseling, as well as care coordination.
More information about our clinical, research, and educational programs can be found on this website. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or interest in one of these programs.
Daniel J. Rader, MD
Chief, Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics
Biography
Dr. Daniel Rader is the Seymour Gray Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as the Chair of the Department of Genetics as well as the Chief of the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics in the Department of Medicine. He is also Associate Director of Penn’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and is co-director of the Penn Medicine Biobank.
Dr. Rader’s research focuses on the human genetics and functional genomics of lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, as well as the translational implications for novel therapeutic approaches. He has had a long interest in novel therapeutic approaches to unmet medical needs in the treatment of severe dyslipidemia. He led the scientific and clinical development of a first-in-class inhibitor of microsomal transfer protein for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. He also has a particular interest in HDL metabolism and function, and novel approaches to targeting HDL metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport in the treatment, prevention, and regression of atherosclerosis.
Dr. Rader trained in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and in human genetics and physiology of lipoprotein metabolism at the National Institutes of Health. He has been on the Penn faculty since 1994. He is a recipient of several national awards, including the Clinical Research Award from the American Heart Association. He is currently the deputy editor of the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation, and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Atherosclerosis, the Board of External Experts of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and the Advisory Board for Clinical Research for the NIH. Dr. Rader has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (now the National Academy of Medicine).