Vence L. Bonham Jr.

Vence L. Bonham Jr., J.D. is the acting Deputy Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the U. S. National Institutes of Health, and is the leader of the NHGRI Health Disparities Unit. His research focuses on social determinants of health, particularly with regard to the social implications of new genomic knowledge and technologies.

Bonham earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in 1978.He taught middle school history and social studies before earning his Juris Doctor degree from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1982. His mother was a school social worker and his father was a science teacher.He began his career in healthcare law and then obtained a Health Services Research Fellowship from the American Association of Medical Colleges. Mr. Bonham then taught health policy and bioethics to medical students at Michigan State for a number of years before starting at the NHGRI in 2002. He is a member of the NIH Tribal Health Research Coordinating Committee (THRCC).

Health policy

Bonham's career spans the intersections of law, medical research, and social justice. As he writes in the forward to the summary of The 21st Annual Saint Louis University Health Law Symposium, "Living in the Genetic Age: New Issues, New Challenges","an important challenge for the legal profession is to train ... lawyers knowledgeable of science and genomics to play an important role in the translation of the technological and scientific discoveries into benefits for society." He has contributed to guidelines highlighting major issuesin these overlapping areas, such as maintaining a focus on improving health, striving for global diversity, maximizing the usability of genomics for the general public, and promoting robust and consistent standards for genomic research. His ongoing work addresses thebalance of scientific progress and ethical and equitable treatment of persons.

Genomics and health disparities

The fast improvements and applications of genomics data in a clinical setting for treatment of disease have left many communities underrepresented in original research, which can mislead diagnostics and treatment. As director of the Health Disparities Unit at NHGRI, Bonham leads a team that aims to achieve health equity in the context of genomic medicine, where genomic knowledge, access to genomic services (testing and counseling), and unbiased implementation of genomic medicine are accessible and applied globally and fairly across all populations.

He has organized and advocated for the development of improved laws surrounding the application of genomics in a clinical setting and precision medicine to better serve underrepresented communities. Bonham and colleagues have developed three scales in an attempt to assess the knowledge and perception of race and human variation by clinicians. These scales are: Genetic Variation Knowledge Assessment Index–GKAI, Health Professionals Beliefs about Race—HPBR, and Racial Attributes in Clinical Evaluation—RACE.

"GKAI is a timely knowledge scale that can be used to assess health professional knowledge of race and human genetic variation. HPBR is a promising new tool for assessing health professionals' beliefs about the role of race and its relationship with human genetic variation in clinical practice. RACE offers a valid and reliable tool for assessing explicit use of racial attributes in clinical decision making."

Sickle cell disease

Bonham has published on the treatment, screening, and study of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and is an expert on the history and emerging science regarding this condition. In his role at the NHGRI, he leads the INSIGHTS program (The Insights into Microbiome and Environmental Contributions to Sickle Cell Disease and Leg Ulcers Study), a longitudinal interdisciplinary study exploring sickle cell disease in adults that covers genomic, microbial, physical, and social influences. He sees SCD as a condition that highlights and demonstrates healthcare disparities "where the outcomes and the experiences are evidence of not getting the necessary treatments and focus historically." This makes SCD an important disease to study through the lenses of healthcare equity and justice. With Lisa E. Smilan, he wrote an article for the North Carolina Law Review in 2019 regarding the legal and ethical considerations of somatic gene editing in sickle cell disease.

Bonham and his research group are moving forward with the World Health Organization and investigators in Sierra Leone to study adults with SCD, to increase utilization of newborn screening, and to address the ethical and logistical considerations of curative therapies in a developing country.

Ethics of genome-editing

With the emergence of gene editing technologies such as CRISPR, Bonham has emphasized that SCD is a critical example of the value of respect for persons, fairness, and worldwide collaboration as genomic technology continues to evolve. Clinical trials for one of the first attempts in somatic cell genome editing using CRISPR technology are for the treatment of sickle cell disease. he and his colleagues have published multiple peer-reviewed studies identifying gaps in knowledge of trial participants that could prevent them from giving adequately informed consent. He highlights the importance of engaging with the SCD patient community with regard to scientific developments in treatment and management of the disease and prioritizing their protection and equitable care.

Bonham and his wife live in Bethesda, MD and have two grown sons. He considers himself an art lover and has his own collection of primarily African American art.