Round 2
After an initial research and discovery phase in Round 1, our focus for Round 2 is on fast-tracking clinical outcomes for Queenslanders through genomic medicine.
Our $8 million Round 2 investment was decided through a project co-design process in 2018 involving clinicians, researchers, health administrators and health consumers.
During Round 2, we are:
- investing in implementing genomics-based clinical projects
- investing in clinical innovation projects to meet future needs
- creating an incubation pipeline for future clinical implementation
- building capability and infrastructure in our health system.
Clinical projects
Funded clinical projects will show how genomic medicine can be used to improve diagnosis and treatment for patients with breast and myeloid cancers, sepsis, antimicrobial-resistant infections, epilepsy and rare childhood diseases.
During the Round 2 investment decision-making process, we identified several clinical projects that could collaborate to achieve common goals.
We’re using a portfolio approach to share resources, learning, and enable sustainable implementation.
Capability and Infrastructure Initiatives
In 2019 we’re investing $3 million in Queensland Health to develop infrastructure needed to support medical genomics.
These 13 initiatives were funded as part of Queensland Genomics’ 2019 Capability and Infrastructure Work Program to equip Queensland to apply medical genomics to everyday healthcare.
Genetic Health Institute
The Genetic Health Institute brings together clinical services, education and training, research and innovation, data and technology, academic and industry partnerships in genomics—collaborating to establish genomics in everyday healthcare.
Primary care and general practice genomics education
Engage primary care groups to understand medical genomics issues, and raise awareness and understanding of the application of genomics to healthcare in Queensland within the primary care sector.
For more information about this initiative visit the Genomics for GPs page on the Check Up website.
Nursing genomics education and knowledge
Understand and address the knowledge requirements for nurses working in Queensland Genomics Round 2 disease areas, focusing on breast cancer and infectious disease.
Variant curation workshops
Deliver a national cancer variant curation workshop for clinicians working in cancer genomics; and a hereditary variant curation workshop to build core capabilities in genetic pathology in Queensland.
Pathology Queensland Centre for Integrated Genomics
Build Pathology Queensland’s capability in genomic sequencing services for Queensland Genomics Round 2 Clinical Projects, expanding the capacity to deliver genomics-based diagnostics activities within Queensland Health.
Integrating genomics into the ieMR
Partner with Clinical Excellence Queensland and eHealth Queensland to ensure Queensland’s integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) supports genetic and genomic medicine.
Longitudinal information management and advanced decision support
With CSIRO’s Australian eHealth Research Centre develop a strategic approach to managing genomic information captured from clinical diagnostics and care, and explore applying artificial intelligence in medical genomics.
GenetiQs and IG HeLP
QIMR Berghofer’s GenetiQs project will finalise and launch guidelines for researchers partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. IG HeLP will identify, develop and deliver culturally appropriate genomics communication material to support and engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in genomics and personalised medicine.
Statewide consent and ethics for genomics
QIMR Berghofer will consult the Hospital and Health Service’s Human Research Ethics Committees to establish a standardised approach to consent, and using collected genomics information for research purposes.
Community outreach
QIMR Berghofer will work with the Queensland Genomics Community Advisory Group to raise public awareness and understanding of medical genomics in Queensland.
Stakeholder engagement and briefing program on the Ethics, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Round 1 findings
This initiative supports engagement activities on the key findings from the Round 1 ELSI project including privacy protections for Queenslanders, and legislative and policy implications for adopting medical genomics.
Evaluating clinical genomics
This initiative, led by QIMR Berghofer, will evaluate Round 2 Clinical Projects to establish ongoing funding for these services, and to determine the impact of implementing genomics on clinical practice.
Community advisory group
The Queensland Genomics Community Advisory Group serves as a forum for promoting person-centred care in genomic medicine. In 2019 the Queensland Genomics Community Group will lead two projects: one to develop a patient information toolkit for paediatric patients accessing genomic medicine, and the second project will deliver workshops to build genomics health literacy within multicultural communities in Queensland.
