IHCC Quarterly Newsletter
January 2024
In this edition
- IHCC Director’s Message
- ICS6 Update: PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024
- IHCC Spotlight: PRECISE – Singapore National Precision Medicine Programme
- GGMC Educational Webinar Series
- Funding Opportunities
- IHCC Working Group Meeting Schedules – Join Us!
We want to hear from you!
Message From the IHCC Director
Greetings, Global Leaders in Genomic Medicine!
We’re thrilled to bring you this newsletter celebrating the incredible progress achieved through the collaborative efforts of the International Health Cohorts Consortium (IHCC) a program of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (GGMC). Together, we are building a world where genomic medicine benefits everyone, everywhere. Read below for our latest program updates and goals for 2024.
IHCC: Connecting Cohorts, Revolutionizing Research
- Unlocking Global Data: Our flagship Global Cohort Atlas now features 87 cohorts from 43 countries, representing nearly 50 million participants. This powerful platform enables researchers to identify potential partners and explore diverse populations, opening doors to groundbreaking discoveries. Check it out HERE.
- Fostering Collaboration: We’ve launched pilot projects on various critical health challenges, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. These multi-cohort studies demonstrate the immense potential of collaborative research in addressing global health issues, and many of them have attracted additional funding to expand by adding more cohort collaborations. Learn about our cross-cohort collaboration projects and the resulting impactful science by reading these publications.
- Building Trust & Infrastructure: Our commitment to responsible data sharing and ethical practices is unwavering. We’ve developed robust governance frameworks, data sharing principles and guidance for working with industry; ensuring participant privacy and fostering trust within the research community.
- Knowledge Sharing & Capacity Building: Our GGMC Educational Webinar Series continues to connect professionals from various backgrounds, fostering knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning. Through these webinars, and soon the implementation of mentorship programs, we are cultivating a global workforce equipped to advance genomic medicine.
We actively advocate for policies that promote equitable access to and responsible use of genomic technologies. Our collaborations with international organizations and policymakers ensure that the benefits of genomic medicine reach all corners of the globe.
Looking Ahead:
We are brimming with excitement for the future! Our 2024 goals include:
- Expanding the Global Cohorts Atlas with even more diverse datasets.
- Launching new cross-cohort collaborative research projects on pressing global health challenges.
- Expanding our workforce development activities beyond webinars to various Early-career Investigator mentoring programs.
- Fostering ethical and equitable access to genomic medicine for all.
Join IHCC-Get Involved!
We invite you to join us in this crucial endeavor. Whether you’re a researcher, clinician, policymaker, or simply passionate about global health, your contributions are invaluable. Visit our websites (IHCC, G2MC, GGMC) to learn more about our initiatives and discover ways to collaborate. Fill out our Join Us/Get Involved Form to tell us about your interests and join one of our many workgroups or committees.
Together, let’s bridge the gap between genomics and global health, ensuring a healthier future for generations to come.
Sincerely, Scott
Scott Sundseth, Ph.D
IHCC Program Director
P.S. Share this newsletter with your network and spread the word about our mission!
IHCC 6th International Cohorts Summit (ICS6)
ICS6 Update - PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024
We are excited to announce the PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024 will be held in collaboration with PRECISE on August 21-23, 2024 in Singapore! The theme of our conference is From Cohorts to Clinics: The New Landscape of Global Healthcare. This conference seeks to address challenges and opportunities in translating advances in precision medicine into tangible enhancements in patient care and reshape the landscape of modern healthcare. It also aims to catalyze and promote cross-population cohort research and design cross-cohort pilot projects to address various global challenges.
Please share this Save the Date with your networks! We will notify you as soon as the website is up and registration opens.
At this time we are currently accepting abstract submissions for the conference. You can submit your abstract at this link: https://form.gov.sg/65681f27991ea30012ec9845. Please also share this Call for Abstract Submissions with others who may be interested.
The deadline for abstract submissions is Monday, February 26, 2024 at 11:59PM EST/ 12:59 PM SGT.
Lastly, if your organization is interested in being a sponsor for our conference, please email the IHCC Program Director, Scott Sundseth (ssundseth@g2mc.org).
We look forward to seeing you in person in Singapore in August!
IHCC Spotlight
PRECISE - Singapore National Precision Medicine Programme
Singapore has established the National Precision Medicine (NPM) programme, which is a three-phase roadmap to establish Southeast Asia’s most deeply phenotyped cohort to support understanding of multi-ethnic Asian health; implement a data-driven healthcare system to identify groups at higher risk of disease and progression; and catalyse Singapore’s precision medicine industry by uplifting local companies and attracting multi-national companies. Continue reading to learn more about the impactful work being done by PRECISE in the National Precision Medicine (NPM) programme.
GGMC Educational Webinar Series
We would like to thank Dr. Nora Pashayan who was our speaker at the recent webinar on December 21, 2023, for her talk titled “Personalized Risk Assessment for Early Detection of Cancer”. Please click the link below to view the webinar recording.
About the GGMC Educational Webinar Series
Our aim for this online series is to provide a forum for IHCC and G2MC members to exchange scientific ideas, best practices, and lessons learned; showcase cohorts’ accomplishments, emphasizing LMICs; share international funding opportunities; and more. Each month a different IHCC or G2MC member will be featured as a guest speaker. Want to preview upcoming talks, register to participate, and even host your own? View our Educational Webinar Series webpage below to learn more.
Don’t forget to register!
Funding Opportunities
We have compiled a list of funding opportunities that may be of interest to IHCC cohorts. You can view the list below. We will update this list on a rolling basis and share it in the quarterly IHCC newsletters.
IHCC Working Groups Meeting Schedule - Join Us!
Join a Working group! We need your unique perspective to achieve our goals.
The active IHCC working groups are now:
- Scientific Strategy and Cohort Enhancements → monthly on the second Wednesday at 10:00 am EST (15:00 UTC)
- Data Standards and Infrastructure → Internal meetings only at this time
Interested in joining an IHCC Working Group, the Workforce and Training Core Committee, or the Policy Core Committee? Contact us at ihccinfo@ihccglobal.org and we will connect you to the team.
Folllow Us!
Join Our Community
Not an IHCC member yet? Read our Membership Agreement and click below to join the IHCC community!
Member cohort information is posted in our IHCC Cohort Atlas. If you’re already an IHCC member cohort, but need to update your information, you may also do so using the form below.
IHCC VISION
A global community of cohorts working together to advance science and improve health for all.
IHCC MISSION
To forge cohort connections that revolutionize population health science by providing sustainable data infrastructure, cultivating a collaborative research environment, and promoting policies and best practices that foster connectivity, interoperability, and reciprocity.
