UK Genomics Symposium with ASEAN Partners 2022

Background

Genomic medicine has amazing power to continue improving health outcomes globally. It provides an incredible opportunity to achieve faster, accurate diagnosis and has driven a revolutionary shift toward precision and personalised medicine, meaning better, more targeted treatments for patients with diseases such as cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Genomic medicine also has become increasingly relevant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and areas such as genomic sequencing has been key to supporting wider global health security.

The UK's leadership in genomic medicine is detailed in the Government's new Genome UK implementation plan​ published in May 2021 setting out 27 commitments to deliver over the next year including 5 high-priority actions, such as identifying technologies that could be used to enable faster genomic testing for cancer to making the NHS the only healthcare system worldwide to routinely offer this life-changing test for earlier diagnosis and improving patients self-care.

The UK is open to collaboration overseas and has a range of organisations that look to establish partnerships overseas. Equally, across the ASEAN region, there is a range of innovative institutions, universities and private sector companies looking to use genomics to improve wider health outcomes. The ASEAN region and the UK have common challenges and opportunities to learn from each other's experiences.

Overview of the symposium

The UK Department for International Trade (DIT) in conjunction with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Science and Innovation Network in Southeast Asia are collaborating to run a virtual genomics symposium in SE Asia. This is also in partnership with the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC).

Our desired impact is to generate discussion and deliver insights on the UK's genomics offer, landscape, and current work examples in the region, all in one showcase. This is a two-way exchange with the ASEAN region and we will have examples of SE Asian organisations presenting their local insights in the genomics space.

Key objectives

• To help the participants understand the UK genomics landscape
• To learn about current activities, demand, and issues in the ASEAN region
• To develop connections and facilitate future collaborations among relevant stakeholders in UK and ASEAN region

Organisations presenting include:

• Newcastle University
• Genomics England
• Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS)
• UK Health & Security Agency (UKHSA)
• Oxford Nanopore
• Genomics Institute Singapore (GIS)
• Philippine Genome Center
• AstraZeneca
• With more speakers to come...

To find out more about UK Genomics, please download this brochure World Leading Genomics and Personalised Medicine in the UK click here​.