On 25 May 2022, I attended the Global Genetics Conference hosted by the think tank, Public Policy Projects (PPP) with a group of colleagues from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome Connecting Science. This in-person event followed two days of online webinars, with five panel talks throughout the day, and a live recording of Genomics England’s The G Word Podcast to end. Here, I give a brief overview of the event and the key takeaways from the discussions around the challenges and opportunities that the field of genomics presents.
The day brought together many different faces from the genomics community in the UK and covered topics including the current barriers to diversity in genomic research, pandemic preparedness and the role of science diplomacy, to highlight a few.
I was thrilled to host a panel discussion on pathogen surveillance and pandemic preparedness, which built on the work published in PPP’s Genomics Revolution Report, discussing the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanger was a contributor to this report, which highlights the importance of open data sharing in the fight against disease.
During the 45-minute session, I asked the panel — Dr Ewan Harrison from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Dr Tom Sharrock from Lifebit, and Fiona McCartney from Illumina — questions about how we can ensure that, not only the UK, but also the world can use genetics to help predict when another pandemic might happen. In this session, we explored how data were shared during the COVID-19 pandemic, what worked to mitigate spread of the virus, and how these experiences can be used to inform future measures.
One key point was the continued need for data sharing and surveillance of infectious diseases, as well as the need for diverse data sets from around the world. To stop future pandemics, we need detailed information on infectious diseases sampled globally with various methods, so we can try to halt outbreaks before they appear.
To stop future pandemics, we need detailed information on infectious diseases sampled globally with various methods, so we can try to halt outbreaks before they appear.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 51
Dr Julia Wilson, Associate Director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
Another session that I particularly enjoyed was ‘The role of genomics in making the UK a life sciences superpower’. This session’s panel included Chris Wigley from Genomics England, Thorben Seeger from LifeBit, Chief Scientific Officer for England Professor Dame Sue Hill and David Atkins who sits on the National Genomics Board. The session was chaired by Sir John Chisholm who previously oversaw the 100,000 Genomes Project. They vocalised key points that were recommended in PPP’s Global Genomics Report, which includes insights from Sanger researchers.
Here, the speakers discussed how the UK Government has outlined its commitment to developing the national life sciences ecosystem, to try and position the UK as a global life sciences superpower. They spoke about how this could be achieved through funding and collaboration across traditional boundaries, where academics could work with commercial companies and the NHS could adopt new technologies and treatments more rapidly, and how we could deliver this over the coming years. They also discussed challenges in the UK funding of science and how this differs to other areas of the world, such as Scandinavia and the US.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 45
Dr Ewan Harrison from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Dr Tom Sharrock from Lifebit
The day brought together many different faces from the genomics community in the UK and covered topics including the current barriers to diversity in genomic research, pandemic preparedness and the role of science diplomacy, to highlight a few.
I was thrilled to host a panel discussion on pathogen surveillance and pandemic preparedness, which built on the work published in PPP’s Genomics Revolution Report, discussing the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanger was a contributor to this report, which highlights the importance of open data sharing in the fight against disease.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 51
Dr Julia Wilson, Associate Director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
During the 45-minute session, I asked the panel — Dr Ewan Harrison from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Dr Tom Sharrock from Lifebit, and Fiona McCartney from Illumina — questions about how we can ensure that, not only the UK, but also the world can use genetics to help predict when another pandemic might happen. In this session, we explored how data were shared during the COVID-19 pandemic, what worked to mitigate spread of the virus, and how these experiences can be used to inform future measures.
One key point was the continued need for data sharing and surveillance of infectious diseases, as well as the need for diverse data sets from around the world. To stop future pandemics, we need detailed information on infectious diseases sampled globally with various methods, so we can try to halt outbreaks before they appear.
"To stop future pandemics, we need detailed information on infectious diseases sampled globally with various methods, so we can try to halt outbreaks before they appear."
Another session that I particularly enjoyed was ‘The role of genomics in making the UK a life sciences superpower’. This session’s panel included Chris Wigley from Genomics England, Thorben Seeger from LifeBit, Chief Scientific Officer for England Professor Dame Sue Hill and David Atkins who sits on the National Genomics Board. The session was chaired by Sir John Chisholm who previously oversaw the 100,000 Genomes Project. They vocalised key points that were recommended in PPP’s Global Genomics Report, which includes insights from Sanger researchers.
Here, the speakers discussed how the UK Government has outlined its commitment to developing the national life sciences ecosystem, to try and position the UK as a global life sciences superpower. They spoke about how this could be achieved through funding and collaboration across traditional boundaries, where academics could work with commercial companies and the NHS could adopt new technologies and treatments more rapidly, and how we could deliver this over the coming years. They also discussed challenges in the UK funding of science and how this differs to other areas of the world, such as Scandinavia and the US.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 45
Dr Ewan Harrison from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Dr Tom Sharrock from Lifebit
In addition to these sessions, there was a panel about the current issues in genetic diversity, and how we can address these, hosted by Vivienne Parry, Head of Engagement at Genomics England. This consisted of Sasha Henriques, a Principal Genetic Counsellor and PhD student at Connecting Science and Sanger, Kye Gbangbola, Chair of the Sickle Cell Society, Dr Saghira Malik Sharif, Principal Genetic Counsellor, and Dr Mavis Machirori, Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute. Delving into what we mean by genetic diversity, how we understand and start to address the current issues, this incredibly interesting conversation was a great start to the day. Key discussion points included institutional barriers to diversity, whether certain conditions are prioritised for research, a lack of trust in research, and how research funders could influence change.
Professor Anna Middleton from Wellcome Connecting Science and Julian Barro, Creative Strategist, hosted a session on public trust in science and research, discussing the need to ensure that science is communicated effectively and new methods are needed for science outreach. The overarching take away from this session was the responsibility that we all have to be open and clear about the research that we are doing, and to listen to and involve those who are impacted.
While we still have many policy challenges to overcome in order to fully realise the potential in genomics, it was a pleasure to attend and support this conference and lead some of these much-needed conversations.
We all have a responsibility to be open and clear about the research that we are doing, and to listen to and involve those who are impacted.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 105
Professor Anna Middleton, Wellcome Connecting Science
In addition to these sessions, there was a panel about the current issues in genetic diversity, and how we can address these, hosted by Vivienne Parry, Head of Engagement at Genomics England. This consisted of Sasha Henriques, a Principal Genetic Counsellor and PhD student at Connecting Science and Sanger, Kye Gbangbola, Chair of the Sickle Cell Society, Dr Saghira Malik Sharif, Principal Genetic Counsellor, and Dr Mavis Machirori, Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute. Delving into what we mean by genetic diversity, how we understand and start to address the current issues, this incredibly interesting conversation was a great start to the day. Key discussion points included institutional barriers to diversity, whether certain conditions are prioritised for research, a lack of trust in research, and how research funders could influence change.
"We all have a responsibility be open and clear about the research that we are doing, and to listen to and involve those who are impacted."
Professor Anna Middleton from Wellcome Connecting Science and Julian Barro, Creative Strategist, hosted a session on public trust in science and research, discussing the need to ensure that science is communicated effectively and new methods are needed for science outreach. The overarching take away from this session was the responsibility that we all have to be open and clear about the research that we are doing, and to listen to and involve those who are impacted.
Genomic conference 250522 and Headshots 105
Professor Anna Middleton, Wellcome Connecting Science
While we still have many policy challenges to overcome in order to fully realise the potential in genomics, it was a pleasure to attend and support this conference and lead some of these much-needed conversations.
