Caius Fellow gives evidence at parliamentary genomics inquiry

  • 19 December 2017
  • 2 minutes

Caius Professorial Fellow Professor Patrick Chinnery has given evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into genomics and genome editing in the NHS.

The inquiry, launched in September 2017 by the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, is examining the call by the Chief Medical Officer for England (Professor Dame Sally Davies) in her latest annual report for mainstreaming genomic medicine in the NHS within five years. The report, ‘Generation Genome’, cautioned that major cultural shifts within the NHS would be needed in order to fulfil the government's ambitious plan to create a National Genomic Medicine Service for the England’s entire population of 55 million people by October 2018.

The Committee has called for evidence on the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations, including observations on how any barriers to greater integration of genomic therapies in the NHS could be overcome, and how such barriers may differ across the devolved nations. Professor Chinnery gave evidence to the committee along with Professor Davies and Lord O'Shaunessy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health. The evidence session is now available as a webcast.

Professor Chinnery FRCP FMedSci is Head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. He is a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow in Clinical Science and NIHR Senior Investigator, and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2009. He has previously been Director of the Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine in Newcastle. His principal research interest is in understanding the role of mitochondria in human disease, and developing new treatments for mitochondrial disorders.

Norman Lamb MP, Chair of the Committee, said: "The challenges of embedding genomics and genome editing in the NHS must be identified and fully addressed if all patients are to benefit from this vitally important and promising technology."

 

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