Dear Consortium Members,

We hope this message finds you well. We’re excited to share some recent highlights from our International Health Cohorts Consortium newsroom:

This month’s featured cohort is the UK’s “Our Future Health” study, a pioneering initiative aimed at revolutionizing healthcare through large-scale genomic sequencing and health data analysis. By recruiting millions of volunteers, the study seeks to unlock the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to various diseases. Participants will provide a blood sample for genetic sequencing and complete detailed health questionnaires. The data collected will be used to identify new disease risk factors, develop personalized treatments, and improve early diagnosis. This ambitious project has the potential to transform healthcare by enabling more precise and effective interventions, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for generations to come. Learn more about the largest population cohort study in the world on their website.

The PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024, held in Singapore from 21-23 Aug, was a landmark event for the global health community. This three-day gathering brought together over 700 experts, including clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, to discuss the latest advancements in precision medicine and public health. The conference focused on the theme “From Cohorts to Clinics: The New Landscape of Global Healthcare,” exploring how large-scale health data can be harnessed to improve patient outcomes. Nearly 60 speakers presented in interactive sessions on topics as diverse as disease genetics, artificial intelligence, data sharing, and ethical considerations in precision medicine. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024 played a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare. You can view the program, sponsors, highlight videos, graphical summaries, and session photos on the conference website and in this brief IHCC summary.

Following on from the very successful PRECISE-IHCC Conference 2024, the Global Genomics Medicine Collaborative (GGMC, our parent organization) Board of Directors met and agreed that we should bring our two consortia, IHCC and G2MC, closer together. This will be especially valuable in areas where both groups could share resources, skills, and knowledge to benefit population health. The Singapore conference theme of “Cohorts to Clinics” is our new organizational mantra and we have already begun to work together on new initiatives that will offer members of our Consortia greater value, including an online Member Portal that provides increased resources and support of our members existing projects and catalyzes new project ideas. Lastly, beginning in 2025 we will publish one GGMC newsletter, quarterly, covering highlights from both IHCC and G2MC.

We encourage you to stay updated on the latest consortium news and opportunities by visiting our website and following us on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter).

Thank you for your continued contributions to our mission of advancing global health research.

Sincerely, Scott

Scott Sundseth, Ph.D
IHCC Program Director