Why ITMI?

Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) is one of the leading genomic research labs in the country. We use data from people like you to build models of your genetic makeup. This helps us better understand how diseases develop and how to personalize treatment.

We are seeking a variety of patients to join our studies – from healthy families planning to deliver a baby at Inova, to Inova families with an infant born prematurely or with birth defects, to patients with allergies, diabetes or heart disease. Learn more about joining an ITMI study.

How ITMI helps patients

There are many things about you or your child’s genetics that you already know: Your child may have your eye color, and you may be tall like your father. Our genetic research studies help unravel the mysteries of your DNA, so we can determine the exact causes of diseases and understand your personal health risk factors.

With the participation of people like you in our groundbreaking research, we aim to:

• Pinpoint the causes of chronic conditions and rare diseases. For some patients, the cause of their disease is unknown. For others, common conditions – like diabetes or allergies – are hard to predict and treat because of individual differences. Mapping individual genetic codes can help us determine the cause and find effective treatments.
• Diagnose congenital disorders. Birth defects are often rare and hard to diagnose. But with genomic research, we have greater chances of correctly diagnosing and understanding birth defects and treating them effectively.
• Predict health risks. By mapping the genetic code of thousands of patients, we can learn more about who is at risk for certain diseases and personalize the right kind and dose of medicine.
• Individualize cancer treatment. Looking at a person's genetic code, ITMI researchers can determine how to personalize cancer treatment.

Interested? Read more about joining an ITMI study or learn more about our research studies.

What is genome sequencing?

Every cell in your body contains DNA, which holds your unique genetic code that determines everything from the color of your eyes and shoe size to whether you may develop cancer some day. There are about six billion bits of information that make up your DNA. Over the past ten years, scientists have discovered how to map that extensive code. That’s what we call genome sequencing.

A person's genetic code can have mistakes or errors that can impact health. At ITMI, we research the exact errors and relate it to their family's genetic make up and lifestyle factors. Ultimately, we hope to discover causes of disease and develop ways for doctors to give you the best treatment.

Contact us

For more information, call us at 703-776-8199.