The University, in collaboration with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) and hospital partners, has been named one of 11 centres involved in a national genome project set to transform diagnosis and treatment for patients with cancer and rare diseases.
The three-year £300m initiative, launched by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this year, involves collecting and decoding 100,000 complete sets of people’s genes – the human genome – to help scientists and doctors understand more about specific conditions.
“This project has the potential to transform the future of healthcare and we are delighted many patients from across the south can be involved and will benefit from it,” explained Professor Karen Temple, professor of medical genetics at the University.
It is anticipated that around 75,000 people will be involved, including some patients with life threatening and debilitating diseases. Recruitment to the project will begin from February.
You can find out more about the project on the University website.