Huntsville, Ala. — HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will host the annual Spring Benefit April 27, 2017 to raise funds and awareness for genomic medicine.
Genomic medicine is the use of an individual’s genomic sequence — the entire set of DNA that makes you unique — to deliver personalized and precise medical care. Genomic medicine is already benefiting thousands of patients with rare, undiagnosed diseases and providing answers and better treatments.
Howard Jacob, PhD, executive vice president for genomic medicine, will deliver this year’s keynote address. Jacob will highlight how quickly the field of genomic medicine has advanced since he first came to Huntsville two years ago, and discuss the many ways HudsonAlpha is applying what we know in genomic science to help physicians and their families lead healthier lives.
“I joined HudsonAlpha’s dynamic team of researchers because I knew we had the same goal: bringing whole genome sequencing to the forefront of personalized medicine,” said Jacob. “In doing so, we’ve opened Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine, provided diagnoses to nearly 150 families through Dr. Cooper’s research program, and launched the Insight Genome for adults interested in unlocking the secrets of their genetic code. Although we’ve come a long way, there is still much more to do.”
In addition, HudsonAlpha started the Information is Power initiative which offers free and reduced-cost genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer to women and men in North Alabama. Kimberly Strong, PhD, HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and director of the Institute’s Ethics and Genomic Program, was the leader and face of the initiative. Strong lost her battle with breast cancer in March, but her professional and personal impact on the field of genetics and genomics lives on through Information is Power and other community engagement activities that she led.
Proceeds from the Spring Benefit will help HudsonAlpha grow its genomic medicine program and improve overall human health.
For more information, visit http://hudsonalpha.org/spring-benefit-page.
About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological challenges. Opened in 2008, its mission is four-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; bringing genomic medicine into clinical care; fostering life sciences entrepreneurship and business growth; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes more than 30 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit: http://hudsonalpha.org/.
