The mission of the UAB Center for Precision Animal Modeling (C-PAM) is to serve as a national resource for the generation, analysis, and distribution of animal models relevant to human genetic disorders for the purpose of pursuing disease mechanisms, developing diagnostic evidence, and identifying potential therapeutics.
C-PAM consists of five highly integrated components – the Coordination Section (CS), Pre/Co-Clinical Section (PCS), Bioinformatics Section (BIS), Disease Modeling Unit (DMU), and the Resource and Services Section (RSS) – that are essential for the efficient generation of precise animal models of direct relevance to human disease. Each center’s component is directed by well-established clinicians, research scientists, or computational/data scientists with expertise in complementary and critical areas essential for this precision medicine initiative.
Goals
- Interface with the clinical, research, and patient communities to select variants to model.
- Confirm the pathogenicity of patient variants by modeling the variant in one or more animal disease model systems (C. elegans, Zebrafish, Xenopus, mouse, or rat).
- Utilize these new models to provide biological insights into the function of the affected gene/protein and how the variant alters this function.
- Identify, prioritize, and test targeted or repurposed therapeutics to alter disease progression and patient outcomes.
- Develop tools and resources that facilitate definitive diagnoses and contribute to improving patient care.
- Establish protocols, processes, algorithms, and tools for the research community to further the understanding of human disorders.
Current Collaborations
