David Duggan

David Duggan, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor in the Early Detection and Prevention Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and holds a parallel appointment as Associate Professor in the Division of Population Science at City of Hope. He additionally functions as Technical Advisor in TGen's Office of the Chief Operating Officer and Consultant for TGen Health Ventures, bridging academic research with commercialization in genomics and personalized medicine.

Dr. Duggan earned his Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Pittsburgh followed by post-doctoral training in genomics at the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH. His educational background established the foundation for his dual expertise in academic research and industry consulting.

His primary research investigates the genetic architecture of complex diseases—particularly breast, colon, and prostate cancers—with emphasis on developing polygenic risk scores for risk stratification and early detection. Having generated genomic data from over 300,000 population-based samples, he focuses on translating discoveries into clinical applications through industry partnerships and healthcare system integration.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a dominant trend in polygenic risk score development across diverse conditions including cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and thrombosis. His work consistently employs large-scale multi-ethnic cohorts and emphasizes clinical validation of genomic tools for practical risk assessment.

Dr. Duggan actively contributes to scientific governance as an advisor for a continuously funded 27-year NIH consortium and industry genomic technology companies, while also serving as an invited grant reviewer for international funding agencies.

His leadership extends to operational roles where he previously directed TGen's Population Genetics Laboratory and High-Throughput Genotyping Center. Current initiatives focus on implementing genomic risk assessment tools within clinical workflows through strategic healthcare partnerships and educational programs for medical professionals.