What do we know about public attitudes to genomics?

Ahead of a major public dialogue on genomic medicine, Ipsos MORI, Genomics England and Sciencewise have summarised recent findings on public attitudes to genomics, and identified areas for future research.

With support from Sciencewise, we have asked Ipsos MORI to find out how the public feel that the NHS should best take forward genomic medicine into its national programme of clinical care.  

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A new study led by the University of Oxford-based CRyPTIC consortium, working with Genomics England, Public Health England and the NIHR, reveals new opportunities for personalised medicine in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB).

The study, ‘Prediction of Susceptibility to First-Line Tuberculosis Drugs by DNA Sequencing’, demonstrates much greater accuracy in predicting the susceptibility of the bacterium to anti-TB drugs than had been expected.

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Professor Mark Caulfield, Chief Scientist at Genomics England said:

We are desperately saddened to learn of the tragic death of Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz.  Maria was an outstanding clinical geneticist and champion of people with syndromic hearing loss.

In the 100,000 Genomes Project she was one of the earliest colleagues to be involved with the programme and a wonderful contributor. Her kindness, indefatigable enthusiasm and wisdom was unwavering and she will be greatly missed by her patients,

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Genomics England is beginning a dialogue, with support from Sciencewise, to explore public aspirations, concerns and expectations about the development of genomics and genomic medicine in the UK. It will bring up to 100 members of the public together with clinicians, academics and industry to discuss in depth the science and issues of genomic medicine.

What is genomics?

Genomics is behind what’s known as ‘personalised medicine’.

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A new public dialogue on attitudes to sharing personal data as part of research has used the 100,000 Genomes Project as an example of best practice in obtaining consent.

The way that Genomics England obtained consent from participants in the 100,000 Genomes Project was praised by the public focus groups who took part in the project, run by the Health Research Authority (HRA) and Human Tissue Authority (HTA), who are now considering how best to use Genomics England’s approach as an example of good practice for future work and guidance for researchers on gaining consent.

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By Anna Middleton (Head of Society and Ethics Research at Wellcome Genome Campus), Vivienne Parry (Head of Engagement at Genomics England), Julian Borra (Citizen, Founder of Thin Air Factory)

Are you with us?

For most of us it is hard to unpick the various declarations, assurances and guarantees made regarding the sanctity of our data. Even the General Data Protection Regulation still feels quite far removed from the everyday lives of ordinary people and is seemingly absent of any consultation with them.

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Dr Jude Hayward and Dr Imran Rafi are Co-Clinical Champions for the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Genomics in Primary Care Programme. Here, they highlight resources created by RCGP to help general practitioners understand the impact and applications of genomics in primary care. 

Genomics testing is increasing and growing numbers of patients are likely to present to their GP practice, as the gateway to NHS care, with issues and questions relating to themselves or family members.

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Professor John Mattick joined Genomics England as its first Chief Executive Officer on 21 May – coming to us from the prestigious Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia. Genomics England speaks to its new CEO to discover more.

What first sparked your interest in science?

I had a wonderful science teacher in secondary school, who led me to love the subject. I was something of an aspiring polymath,

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Today, Prime Minister Theresa May will announce the Government’s plan to use artificial intelligence to diagnose cancer at earlier stages, which will reduce deaths by around 10% by 2033.

In response, Sir John Chisholm, Chair of Genomics England, said:

The Prime Minister’s commitment to the Life Sciences Strategy and the opportunities it opens for the UK is very welcome. Combining the unique strengths we have in the NHS linked to our world-class science gives us the chance to be global leaders in 4th generation technologies linked to wellness and health.

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• The number of users with access to the Genomics England Research Environment has more than doubled since our last update in March 2018 – now over 1,300 researchers are working with data from the 100,000 Genomes Project.

The Genomics England Clinical Interpretation Partnership (GeCIP) is an international consortium of researchers, clinicians and trainees, established to improve understanding and practice of clinical genomics, and uncover new medical insights for patients.

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Genomics England is using data platform MongoDB to power the data science that makes the 100,000 Genomes Project possible. Our partnership with MongoDB allows the processing time for complex queries to be reduced from hours to milliseconds, which means scientists can discover new insights more quickly.

Genomics England, working with the NHS, is sequencing 100,000 genomes from patients with rare diseases and their families, as well as patients with common cancer.

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• Over 500 researchers have been granted access to the Genomics England Research Environment, enabling them to carry out pioneering research on the 100,000 Genomes Project dataset.
• Genomics England has also adopted the bioinformatics platform Galaxy, providing initial access to students on the MSc in Genomic Medicine course with thousands of genomic analysis tools.

The Genomics England Clinical Interpretation Partnership (GeCIP) is an international consortium of researchers, clinicians and trainees, established to improve understanding and practice of clinical genomics,

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The Wellcome Sanger Institute has announced today the death of their founding director and pioneering scientist, Professor Sir John Sulston.

Sir John founded and directed the Sanger Institute, then Sanger Centre, from 1992 to 2000, leading a historic period of genetic discovery. He led the UK’s contribution to the draft Human Genome, a monumental effort that laid the foundations for the research that is transforming healthcare and understanding of disease today.

Sir John Chisholm,

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As part of the BioIndustry Association’s celebration of International Women’s Day today, Genomics England’s chief commercial officer Joanne Hackett will be joining Dr Jelena Aleksic, founder and chief executive of GeneAdviser, at a networking evening to explore the topic of genomics and data protection.

BIA’s Women in Biotech Networking Evenings were created for attendees to connect with women from across the sector, share success stories and hear from inspirational speakers.

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Last month the Ethics and Social Science Genomics England Clinical Interpretation Partnership (GeCIP) held its first national community meeting in London. Alev Sen, an ESRC-funded PhD Fellow at Genomics England, describes some of the day’s highlights.

It’s not that often that over 100 leading ethics and social science researchers in the field of genomics come together with patients and families, clinicians, scientists, and policy-makers from across the UK to look at how we can contribute to world-class research and inform the future of genomics.  

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As the world marks Rare Disease Day on 28 February, Genomics England explores patient and clinical perspectives of rare disease.

In this blog we hear from Rebecca Middleton − taking part in the 100,000 Genomes project’s rare disease programme and Vice Chair of the Project’s Participant Panel.

In an accompanying blog we hear from Dr Richard Scott, Genomics England’s Clinical Lead for Rare Disease.

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In this blog Dr Richard Scott talks about the long path to diagnosis for many people with rare diseases, and the challenge of raising awareness amongst the public and healthcare professionals.

As the world marks Rare Disease Day on 28 February, Genomics England explores patient and clinical perspectives of rare disease. In an accompanying blog we hear from Rebecca Middleton on how through the 100,000 Genomes Project,

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Genomics England has announced the appointment of two new Non-Executive members to its Board. Sir Ron Kerr and Keith Stewart bring a wealth of senior scientific, commercial and managerial experience to Genomics England − providing effective support for the strategic and operational leadership of the organisation.

Genomics England’s new Non-Executive Directors bring highly relevant professional expertise and the ability to engage with stakeholders at every level. They are tasked to ensure the on-going pace,

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