EUHEALTHGEN –PRESS RELEASE

WELLCOME TRUST AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION HOST A JOINT CONFERENCE ON HUMAN POPULATION GENETICS

Scientists from across Europe are today (Tuesday September 20th) attending a conference in Cambridge, UK to discuss the future of human population genetics research across Europe. The three-day PopGene conference – ‘From Biobanks to Biomarkers’ – aims to review existing research in human population genetics research, identifying strengths, weaknesses and scientific opportunities, and help build partnerships between existing and new national European and International projects in this research area. It will develop a forward looking strategy for translating the outputs of population genetics research into clinically useful and health enhancing initiatives.

Opening the conference Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said:

‘The Human Genome Project has provided us with a wealth of information about our genes and their many variations. This knowledge can now be used to understand how genes and the environment interact in large populations in health and disease. I am delighted that the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission are collaborating to bring together European scientists to brainstorm the scientific and social issues and build capacity for research in population genetics.’

Dr Bill Baig from the Health Research Directorate of DG Research at the European Commission said:

‘The most important observation we can make is that current research already shows the potential of forming the basis of usable tools in profiling the status of human health. From a personal viewpoint, I think this should be the start of visualising the 21st century mode of health care where new elements such as susceptibility to disease, response to treatment, tolerance of medication, and a host of other attributes could be linked to the patient’s medical record Europe wide.’

The PopGene conference, which is being held at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambs., involves over 200 scientists from across Europe and elsewhere who have come together to discuss the expectations and goals for industry and healthcare, to determine the future needs for resources and tools for statistical analysis and to develop strategies for research in novel technologies and biomarkers.

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Notes to Editors:

1. Member and Associated States across the European Research Area are supporting research on population genetics in order to build upon the significant investments made in sequencing the human genome. The scope of these investments is limited by the resources available and the size of the population being served. Significant added value can be obtained if the objectives and protocols involved in human population genetics research at a national level can be harmonised to become representative of the entire EU population. The EU would thereby develop and maintain a leading global position in genetic epidemiology and population genetics. Advances in genetic medicine would be harnessed to improve public health and preventative healthcare for the EU citizen.

2. Common diseases of major public health importance are phenotypically complex with many having a heritable component. Population genetics can be used to characterise and stratify these complex diseases and associated pathophysiological states. Access to databases containing genotypic, clinical, environmental and lifestyle information on individuals, along with corresponding clinical specimens (biobanks), are an essential component for population genetics research.

3. The International Conference ‘From Biobanks to Biomarkers’ is jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission through a Specific Support Action known as EUHEALTHGEN. The ultimate aim of EUHEALTHGEN is to mobilise European scientists and promote collaboration between population biobanks and other longitudinal cohort studies across Europe and elsewhere. Integrating the information held by these various organisations will be complex, as many scientific, technical, social, legal and ethical barriers need to be identified and overcome. A phased approach will be needed to accomplish this and the current Specific Support Action represents a first crucial step in the overall process.

4. EUHEALTHGEN will contribute to integrating and strengthening the European Research Area, fitting with all the objectives of FP6. It will stimulate and maintain multidisciplinary research and will facilitate the translation of this research to build real, consistent and co-ordinated progress in medicine at a European level. It builds on existing resources for population genetics research across the European Research Area thus facilitating greater access to additional knowledge and expertise.

5. EUHEALTHGEN has been developed by a Steering Committee composed of a consortium of stakeholders with a major interest in human population genetics. The Steering Committee has been used to guide the development of the Conference programme and it will be involved in developing a strategy for the better utilisation of the resources available for population genetics research.

Media Enquiries : Peter Greenaway:07748 723 571.

Peter.greenaway@dh.gsi.gov.uk