I have had a longstanding focus on the fields of cancer genetics and clinical genomics. My translational research is designed to understand mechanisms of susceptibility to pediatric cancer through large collaborative projects. We have worked closely with Dr. Philip Lupo on a landmark study of the association of birth defects and childhood cancer and are now using whole genome sequencing of these unique patients to identify novel cancer susceptibility genes as well as laboratory research to understand the hereditary basis of rhabdomyosarcoma, an often-lethal tumor in children. I serve as co-PI with Donald (Will) Parsons and Amy McGuire on the NHGRI/NCI- U01 Texas KidsCanSeq trial that studies the incorporation of CLIA clinical genome-scale exome sequencing into the care of childhood cancer patients (solid tumors and brain tumors) in the diverse patient populations across six sites in Texas. I am one of the principal investigators of the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen), an international effort dedicated to building a central resource that defines the clinical relevance of genes and variants for use in precision medicine and research.