Posted By: Nikki Meadows, PhD, ASHG/NHGRI Genetics & Public Policy Fellow
What happens when you put three genetics experts in a room full of curious minds? Ideally, a fascinating conversation that everyone involved will still be talking about days later, and that’s exactly what happened in a U.S. Senate hearing room last Friday, September 28. The health staff of Senator Patty Murray, top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP Committee), invited ASHG, along with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, to discuss genomics with Congressional staff working on health issues.
With genomic technologies becoming more prevalent in medicine and agriculture, it is critical that those making legislative policies impacting genetics and genomics have a good understanding of genomics research and its uses. NHGRI was represented by its Director, Eric Green, MD, PhD; HudsonAlpha invited their Vice President for Educational Outreach, Neil Lamb, PhD; and ASHG’s spokesperson was Kiran Musunuru, MD, PhD, MPH, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and our 2019 Program Committee Chair.
Dr. Green opened the conversation by discussing how technology advancements in the last two decades have revolutionized the field of genomics. He described how our ability to now sequence an individual’s entire genome quickly and cheaply has completely transformed how we think about genomics, the types of information we can glean from our genomes, and how we can apply this knowledge to realize the vision of personalized medicine. Dr. Musunuru explained how scientists are able to use genomics to increase our understanding of common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, and to explore possible avenues of treatment. He also explained why diversity in research cohorts is so important. Dr. Lamb finished up the introduction to genomics by talking about using genomic sequencing to study rare and undiagnosed diseases; he also touched on how using genomics in agriculture may have an impact on the plants and animals that we eat in the future.
A fascinating dialogue ensued between the expert panel and the Congressional staff regarding what personalized medicine will look like in the future, how genomic technologies are going to fit into existing healthcare framework, and the importance of genomic literacy at all levels.
Through participation in events like these on the Hill, ASHG is helping Congress understand the value of genetics research. It also helps us showcase the expertise of our members, and demonstrates that ASHG is a resource to which Congress can turn for expertise on human genetics and associated policy issues. In this way, we are able to build stronger relationships with members of Congress and their staff.
Nikki Meadows, PhD, is the 2017-18 ASHG/NHGRI Genetics & Public Policy Fellow. For more information on ASHG’s policy and advocacy programs, please visit the Policy & Advocacy webpage.