Public Health Genomics: The Essentials provides a comprehensive overview of this emerging and essential topic, which the Institute of Medicine has declared an essential public health competency. Step-by-step, the reader is taken through basic molecular genetics; principles of genetic epidemiology; ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics; and clinical applications to disease prevention throughout the life cycle. Key topics include History and Philosophy of Public Health Genetics; Genomics and Government; The Basic Science of Genetics; Polymorphisms and Gene-Environment Interactions; Mutations and Population Genetics; Race and Genomics; Inheritance Patterns of Disease; Genomics and Family History; Multifactorial Traits and Genetic Epidemiology; Informed Consent, Privacy, and Genetic Databases; Teratology and Prenatal Diagnosis; State Programs in Prenatal Screening and Birth Defect Surveillance; Metabolic Genetics, Gene Therapy, and Newborn Screening; Pediatric Genetics and Health Supervision; Genetic Screening and Cultural Competence; Adult and Geriatric Genetics; Genetic Counseling and Health Behavior Modification; and Genetics Resources Online