On 25 May, Ashleigh attended the Global Genomics Conference hosted by Public Policy Projects. This event brings together a variety of stakeholders within the genomics space to deliver discussions around they key topics facing the space.
The day was opened with a panel discussion on diversity within genomics, both in the workspace of and in the genomics samples and studies being undertaken. We heard about the poor inclusion of ethnic minorities and pushed for more to be done in the scientific space.
A key discussion in the afternoon centred around making the UK a genomics superpower, and how we can go about increasing innovation in the UK. It was particularly interesting to hear the viewpoints of how we compare to other countries such as the USA which has a multi-billion dollar genetics industry. Generally speaking, our culture stems more from laboratory based assays rather than being driven by industry.
One of the final sessions discussed how we can make a difference in the patient perspective of genomics, including that much of the general public are sceptical about the world of genetics and what is being done with their DNA. This point can be extrapolated to be reflective of the diagnostics industry generally as laypersons are rarely informed of their own testing processes. As an industry, we could do a lot better to ensure patients are informed and understand the good that comes from many of our existing profiles.
BIVDA will continue to attend conferences and events throughout 2022 to keep increasing our knowledge of the IVD space. We will update our membership through our social media channels, and this Newsletter as these events take place.
