Genomics at NHS Expo 2015
The 100,000 Genomes Project had an exhibition stand at the UK’s major health and care conference, NHS Expo. The stand brought together key partners working on this ground-breaking project: Genomics England, Department of Health, NHS England and Health Education England. We also shared the stand with illumina, Congenica and WuXi NextCODE – innovative companies providing genome sequencing and genome interpretation for the Project.
Delegates came to visit our shared exhibition stand to learn more about genomics, including how DNA is sequenced, what happens with the results, and how these are interpreted.
Attendees could extract their own DNA with help from colleagues from Manchester NHS Genomic Medicine Centre. Visitors can also follow the entire ‘journey’ each participant in the Project makes – from giving their consent to take part, to having their whole genome sequenced and the crucial annotation and interpretation of that data which leads to the feedback they eventually receive from their clinician.
We welcomed several VIPs to the stand. Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt, Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman, Sir Malcolm Grant, Chair of NHS England, and Dame Una O’Brien, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health were among the visitors.
Saint Mary’s Hospital and The University of Manchester are delighted, in collaboration with other colleagues in Greater Manchester, to play a leading part in the 100,000 Genomes Project and the opportunity it presents to bring the latest genomic medicine to patients in our area.”
“Our stand at NHS Expo is just one part of our strategy developed by the Public Programmes Team at Central Manchester University Hospitals to engage the public with genomic science, and will show how we do that. People will be able to extract their own DNA from their cells – a fascinating process.
Professor Bill Newman
Leader of the 100,000 Genomes Project at the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (MCGM)
