Faculty

Alison Fohner

Assistant Professor, Epidemiology


Education

PhD Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, 2015
MS Biology, Stanford University, 2008

Contact


Box 351619
Department of Epidemiology
Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, 874B
Seattle, WA 98195

Bio

Dr. Fohner is a genetic epidemiologist applying innovative big data methods to extensive electronic health record, population-based longitudinal cohort, and multi-omic data to improve precision medicine. She approaches genetic epidemiology through an ELSI (ethical, legal, social implications) lens, and aims to promote equity and justice in the benefit of and access to genetic information in health settings. She prioritizes interdisciplinary collaborations and is a member of the Cardiovascular Health Research Unit at UW, where she integrates genomics and proteomics to identify early biomarkers for cognitive decline and dementia. She is an Associate Director of the Institute for Public Health Genetics, an interdisciplinary program in the School of Public Health that explores the application of genomics in public health, and is an adjunct investigator at Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. 

Research Interests

Dr. Fohner is a genetic epidemiologist applying innovative big data methods to extensive electronic health record and genomic data to improve precision medicine. She approaches genetic epidemiology through an ELSI (ethical, legal, social implications) lens, and aims to promote equity and justice in the benefit of and access to genetic information in health settings. She teaches in the Institute of Public Health Genetics, an interdisciplinary program in the School of Public Health that explores the application of genomics in public health, and is an adjunct investigator at Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

Recent Publications (PubMed)

Training competencies and recommendations for the next generation of public health genetics: Reflections from current leaders in the field.
(2025 Dec 4)
Am J Hum Genet 112(12): 2860-2869
Xue D, Blue EE, Fullerton SM, Henrikson NB, Knerr S, Laberge AM, Parker LS, Sabatello M, Shridhar NN, Smith JA, Wilfond BS, Wojcik GL, Yu JH, Fohner AE

Independent versus joint effects of polygenic or family-based schizophrenia risk in diverse ancestry youth in the ABCD study.
(2025 Oct 30)
Psychol Med 55(): e327
Hyat M, Zhu J, Boltz TA, Conomos MP, Hughes DE, Fohner AE, Foster KT, Bigdeli TB, Forsyth JK

Associations of Immune Cell Subsets With Coronary Artery Calcium Incidence and Progression in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
(2025 Oct 7)
J Am Heart Assoc 14(19): e042502
Patel RD, Buzkova P, Huber S, Landay A, Budoff M, Bis JC, Olson N, Rich S, Heckbert SR, Manichaikul A, Floyd J, Tracy RP, Psaty BM, Doyle MF, Sitlani CM, Delaney JAC, Fohner AE, Feinstein MJ

Risk score roulette: A cautionary tale of polygenic risk score reliability.
(2025 Nov)
J Alzheimers Dis 108(1): 65-70
Xue D, Blue EE, Wood AC, Rotter JI, Fohner AE

Albuminuria, structural brain findings and Circulating biomarkers of brain injury in older adults.
(2025 Jul 1)
Sci Rep 15(1): 22172
Horn JW, Fohner A, Tracy R, Adams HHH, Djousse L, Romundstad S, Janszky I, Longstreth WT Jr, Mukamal KJ

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