Guest Post By: Eric D. Green, MD, PhD, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) recently launched a new round of strategic planning that aims to establish a ‘2020 vision’ for genomics research. This ~two-year effort will position NHGRI to lead genomics research and its applications to human health and medicine in the new decade – keeping the Institute at the Forefront of Genomics.
The strategic planning process will emphasize discussions about emerging areas of genomics that are not well-defined, are poised to benefit from new investments, and are not specific to specific diseases or physiological systems. These include broadly applicable areas such as genomic technology development; genomic variation and its role in human disease; medical use of genomic information; and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics, among others. We will also focus on areas in which NHGRI expects to continue providing leadership with others, including the genomic bases of rare and common diseases as well as computational genomics and data science.
A key aspect of NHGRI’s strategic planning process will be engaging both experts and diverse public communities for input, especially given the increasing relevance of genomics in everyday life – from non-invasive prenatal genetic testing to the growing availability of consumer genomics.
The new NHGRI strategic plan will be published in October 2020 – specifically to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Human Genome Project.
We hope that you will participate in this strategic planning process! In the coming months, NHGRI will be hosting workshops, town halls, social media conversations, and satellite meetings at scientific conferences. We have already held a virtual town hall, have upcoming events in Seattle, Palo Alto, and Atlanta, and will host a satellite meeting at the ASHG Annual Meeting in San Diego in October.
Anyone can now submit their ideas on the Institute’s dedicated strategic planning website on genome.gov and follow conversations on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #genomics2020.
We look forward to engaging with all of you as we collectively shape the future of genomics. See you in San Diego!
Eric D. Green, MD, PhD, is the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), a position he has held since 2009.