Practice and Policy
Nowgen’s interdisciplinary approach provides a powerful platform from which it is able to inform national practice and policymaking. Working at the interface of expertise between the clinical, academic, educational and economic spheres enables us to present a comprehensive perspective of a range of stakeholders on, for example, the introduction of new technology, interventions in genetic medicine and current issues.
Nowgen Policy
Key policy areas:
- Genetics services
- Pharmacogenetics
- Health Prioritisation
- Regenerative Medicine
- Genetic Testing
Nowgen has provided regular formal submissions to the Human Genetics Commission in the form of responses to public consultations; for example, outputs from a Nowgen ‘Disability and Reproductive Choice’ workshop were summarised in policy reports. Nowgen has contributed to a number of other public consultations, for example it has worked with the Regional Genetics Service to make a response to the NHS Consultation on Newborn Screening.
h2.Nowgen Experts as Contributors to National and International Policy for Genetics in Healthcare
Professor Dian Donnai was a member of the MRC/HFEA Working Group on Reproductive Technologies. Dian is President of the Medical Sciences section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) for the year commencing September 2007. She is also a Member of the Advisory Group to the European Union High Level Committee on Rare Disease, and a member of scientific review panels for INSERM (France) and CIHR (Canada).
Dr Helen Middleton-Price is Chairman’s Special Adviser in public awareness of genetics to the British Society for Human Genetics (BSHG), aiming to improve the links between the lay public and BSHG members.
*Professor Dian Donnai* and *Dr Helen Middleton-Price* participated in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research policy retreats.Dr Rob Elles is Co-Chair of the OECD expert group on quality assurance in Molecular Genetic testing.
Peter Finegold is a consultant advising the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia screening programme on their public engagement work.
Katherine Payne was an invited member of an expert panel established by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust, The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, to debate a discussion document ‘Realising the potential of genetic medicine: implications for policy practice and research’ in 2005.
