Policy lessons and future directions
Professor Patrick Maxwell
Chaired by Professor Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge this session reviews the development of policy to support genomics into healthcare and the lessons we can learn. A discussion of how policy should operate to keep science working for health reflected our open question to delegates and the public 'What is the most important policy priority to ensure science works for health'
Professor Sally Sheard presents what she anticipates will be the first of many policy histories of genetics and genomics in the UK, co-researched and written with Dr Phil Begley. Sally reveals a history of varying levels of commitment on the part of policy makers to bring genomics into healthcare and argues that by understanding the points at which the process of translation - from the research to the policy to the practice - can breakdown in order so that policy making can be done better in the future.
Professor in Translational Cancer Genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research, Clare Turnbull, discusses the subjective nature of gene-variant interpretation. Describing what she calls the four horsemen of genotype-phenotype prediction, Clare urges caution as policy makers and regulators turn their attention to develop policy for the use of polygenic risk scores in population genomic screening.
Through the prism of his work on Lynch Syndrome, Sir John Burn, Professor of Clinical Genetics, takes delegates at the PHG health policy summit on the journey from clinical genetics to genomic medicine.