Intermountain, Stanford Partner on Clinical Genomics Initiative
Intermountain Healthcare and the Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC) have established a new collaborative research program with the aim of producing scientific advances in precision health and medicine.
The joint research team consists of members of Intermountain’s Precision Genomics Core Laboratory, based in St. George, Utah, and SGTC based in Palo Alto, California. The team of researchers and clinicians are working to identify novel biomarkers using an advanced array of technologies developed at SGTC, according to an Intermountain Healthcare announcement.
The focus of the research will be on solving clinical issues for patients using cutting-edge technologies that enable delivery of precision health, while also providing scientific expertise and research support for Intermountain Healthcare’s Precision Genomics.
"We are pleased Intermountain Precision Genomics is collaborating in the area of genome technology with Stanford Medicine, one of the nation's finest academic research centers," Terri Kane, vice president of Intermountain Healthcare's Southwest Region said in a statement. "This research partnership has the potential for a direct and very positive impact on our ability to extend the lives and improve the quality of life for patients with advanced cancer among other health issues."
According to the announcement, one of the key objectives in the collaboration is to determine the clinical benefits associated with applying molecular analysis to patient care. “The research agreement allows for the joint development of innovative technologies to enable clinical research focused on precision medicine and directly address critical questions in precision health. Likewise, this will provide Stanford with an invaluable opportunity to conduct clinical population-based studies that will accelerate adoption of precision health,” Lincoln Nadauld, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of precision medicine and precision genomics at Intermountain Healthcare, said in a statement.
Hanlee Ji, M.D., the senior associate director of SGTC and an associate professor at the Stanford School of Medicine in the Division of Oncology said the research program will address critical research questions in the development of precision health. “Conducting our studies in collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare will enable our joint team to address more ambitious clinical research questions on a much broader scale,” he said.
The collaboration is part of broader partnership between Intermountain and Stanford to support projects in research, patient care and medical education.
Intermountain Precision Genomics is a service of Intermountain Healthcare, which offers genetic sequencing of solid tumors. This in-depth sequencing identifies individual mutations within a person’s cancer cells to identify specific DNA targets for personalized drugs.
SGTC is a research center at the Stanford University School of Medicine that integrates personnel and expertise from the Stanford departments of Medicine, Genetics, Biochemistry and Electrical Engineering. SGTC’s mission is to develop innovative biomedical technologies that reduce the costs of health care.
