The future of genetic epidemiology.

Starting from a broad definition of genetic epidemiology, current developments in association, segregation, and linkage analysis of complex inheritance are considered together with integration of genetic and physical maps and resolution of genetic heterogeneity. Mitochondrial inheritance, imprinting, uniparental disomy, pregressive amplification, and gonadal mosaicism are some of the novel mechanisms discussed, with speculation about the future of genetic epidemiology.