The Imperial Excellence in Functional Genomics Network celebrated its official launch last month. The event united researchers, clinicians, and academics across the University as well as partner institutions for a day of insightful talks, discussion, and focused networking.
The Network was established to tackle a major challenge in modern biochemical research – translating genomic data into meaningful outcomes. A prominent bottleneck is the functional validation of potential disease-causing variants. This step is critical but slow and resource-intensive; therefore it limits the pace of discovery and its impact on patient care.
Imperial College has world-class expertise in computational biology, genetics, and bioengineering right at its doorstep. Yet, much of this expertise remains siloed, restricting opportunities for collaborations and potential solutions. The Network seeks to fix this by bringing these disciplines together to accelerate the translation of genetic discoveries into real-world applications.
The launch kicked off with a welcome address from the Network lead, Dr Vanessa Sancho–Shimizu, Associate Professor in Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at Imperial’s Department of Infectious Disease. Next, the Network’s co-leads introduced their thematic areas of focus, some of which included Clinical Genetics, Computational and Regulatory Genetics, and Development and Application of Models.
Following the presentations, the floor opened for discussion, and the audience was invited to share ideas and shape the Network’s direction. Dr Sancho-Shimizu commented: “Over the years at Imperial, I realised that much of the expertise I had been seeking externally was already here within the University. We needed a platform to bring people together and amplify our collective strengths.”
The objectives of the Functional Genomics Network are to build a cohesive community of genomic researchers and clinicians, connect individuals working across the spectrum of genomic science, create specialised working groups with a focus on critical areas, and develop collaborative pipelines.
To achieve these goals, the Network will host seminars and workshops that highlight advances in genomic research, set up multidisciplinary team (MDT) triage meetings, and host matchmaking and networking events to promote new partnerships.