Medics.Academy and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust combine forces to equip healthcare workers for the genomic revolution
Genomics Revolution, Medics.Academy and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have entered into a collaboration to launch Nucleus, a revolutionary online programme to future proof the medical workforce for the genomics generation.
Two decades on since the human genome was first sequenced, routine integration of genomics is poised to play an integral part in everyday healthcare(1). From individualised medicine, to the rapid expansion of translational biomedical research, an understanding of genomics is now an essential piece of any health worker’s armoury.
Nucleus will fulfil an unmet clinical and educational need, by bringing the face-to-face training delivered by world-leading experts at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust onto an innovative educational platform. By providing greater accessibility through high quality digital content, the widest possible cohort of health professionals will improve their competencies in the field of genomics.
Healthcare professionals often have varying levels of experience in utilising genomics to guide patient management and interpreting the results of genomic investigations. Nucleus will not only provide a foundation in the biological underpinnings of such analyses, but also cover the crucial psychosocial skills required to counsel patients for specific tests.
Dr Toby Garrood, Clinical Director for Specialist Ambulatory Services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust commented, “Rapid advances in technology and understanding mean genomics is more relevant than ever before. As genomics increasingly becomes a part of mainstream NHS care, all healthcare professionals need to have a good understanding of its relevance and potential to impact the diagnosis, treatment and management of people being cared for. At Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of the genomics revolution, as evidenced by our lead role in delivering the 100,000 Genomes Project in South London, and our contribution to the ‘Genome UK: the future of healthcare’ 2020 publication setting out the UK strategy for genomics.”
Starting with a focus on cancer genomics, Nucleus provides an interactive, CPD accredited learning platform for forward thinking professionals. Its virtual nature means it can rapidly iterate in response to the expanding nature of genomic knowledge, allowing members of the community to tailor their educational needs, learning at their own pace anytime, anywhere.
Dr Emma Cox, Chief Product Officer at Medics.Academy commented, “Medics.Academy is proud to be collaborating with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust on such an important programme of learning. Nucleus will allow members of all healthcare professions to upskill their knowledge of genomics to directly benefit patients in communities worldwide”.
In the long-term, Medics.Academy will also be working with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to foster a community of healthcare professionals who will become the thought leaders of this genomic generation. Learners will have access to world-leading experts in genomics at their fingertips, as well as a community of like-minded professionals with which to share best practice, ask questions and continue their professional development.
More than ever, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance of remote learning to the fore, prompting educators to rapidly adapt to the demands of the learner. It has also highlighted the crucial role genomics plays in protecting our society. Novel vaccines have been created from the implementation of mRNA techniques(2), while rapid surveillance of new viral variants has been made possible by huge sequencing efforts from collaborations like the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium(3).
Healthcare is changing all around us, are you ready?
(1) Genome UK: the future of healthcare
(2) Polack et al. Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 31;383(27):2603-2615.
(3) https://www.cogconsortium.uk/news_item/reflections-on-the-achievements-of-cog-uk/
