Creating connections
Welcome to this year's Genomics Conversation Week 2025, whose theme is 'Creating Connections'.Genomics learning is about connection – with colleagues, patients, experts, and fellow learners.
Genomics is reshaping our understanding of health, disease, and personalised medicine at an unprecedented pace.
New sequencing technologies, data interpretation tools, and clinical applications emerge almost daily, influencing how we diagnose, treat, and even prevent illnesses. In such a rapidly evolving landscape, staying curious and committed to continuous learning is not just beneficial—it is essential.
For professionals working in or alongside genomics, lifelong learning ensures that individuals remain adaptable, informed, and equipped to integrate the latest evidence into clinical practice.
By actively engaging with new research, tools, and ethical discussions, professionals are better prepared to make decisions that improve patient care and advance scientific discovery.
As genomic information becomes more integrated into mainstream healthcare, patients and colleagues alike will look to genomics-trained professionals for accurate guidance.
Keeping skills and knowledge current helps maintain trust, while also supporting innovation in practice.
Learner spotlight
We wanted to share the genomics learning journeys and experiences of colleagues, clinicians and partners. Colleagues who have accessed edcuation and training relevant to their role and area of clinical practice, to see how genomics is constantly evolving.
I started my cardiology consultant career in Stoke as an electrophysiologist, looking after patients with heart rhythm disorders. Like most electrophysiologists, a small number of the patients I looked after had inherited conditions. In some patients the cause was known, with Long QT syndrome, Brugada Syndrome and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy being prominent. In other patients there appeared to be a familial link, but the cause was unknown to us. It became clear to me that to offer the best care to all our patients we needed the support and education of a genetics team, and Professor Bill Newman and Kay Metcalfe in Manchester kindly agreed to take part in a bimonthly video MDT with our team in Stoke. This had a big impact on the care we offered to patients with familial conditions in Stoke, both by the support with individual cases and with the upskilling of our general genomics knowledge.
In 2019, aged 46, I decided to undertake a Post Graduate Certificate in Genomic Medicine at Manchester University, kindly supported by the Genomics Education Program (GEP). I was keen to understand more about genomics as it appeared to me that many of the unanswered questions regarding my patients and their families lay within the human genome. I loved the course, kindling in me a desire to learn more, and a year later I signed on for the full MSc, again supported by the GEP. Whilst I'm not an infectious diseases expert, it was fascinating studying the infectious disease module online in the summer of 2020, just 6 months after the start of the COVID 19 pandemic with our lecturers tilting the module towards the virus.
In March 2023 I moved to Manchester as a dedicated inherited cardiac conditions consultant, leading a team of 8 consultants in Manchester. My learning continues on a daily basis, this time via conversations with colleagues both in cardiology and genomics. The developments in genomics during my 14 years as a consultant have been rapid, and at times dizzying. However, those developments offer the chance of a step change in care for many of our patients, and it will be key that we continue to upskill the healthcare workforce if our patients are to derive the benefits that genomics has, and will have, to offer.
We would love to hear your learning journeys, so please share via the box below.
Let’s celebrate learning together, to develop a #CommunityOfLearning!
Here are some pledges that we have received to date.
Dr Rachel Hart (Cancer Director)
I will strengthen the connections that matter most — between colleagues, patients, data, disciplines, and communities — so genomic cancer care is timely, joined-up, and equitable. And aim that every family affected by rare and inherited cancers has appropriate care offered and co-ordinated..
- Bridge science and care. I will close the gaps between discovery, diagnosis, and frontline treatment — linking specialist knowledge, services, and resources.
- Co-create with those we serve. I will listen and learn across the pathway — from patients and families to clinicians, scientists, and data partners — ensuring genomic services are co-designed, inclusive, and responsive to what truly matters.
Mike Parkinson (Technical Project Manager)
I pledge to strengthen connections — with colleagues, patients, data, disciplines, and communities:
- Connect project goals with technical feasibility and user experience, facilitating smooth implementation.
- Act as a conduit between technical teams and clinical/educational stakeholders, translating needs and feedback.
- Document and share learning so connections between challenges and solutions help future projects.
Waheeda Abbas (Midwifery Lead)
I pledge to strengthen meaningful connections — across colleagues, patients, data, disciplines, and communities: to embed genomics into compassionate, informed midwifery care.
- Integrate genomic knowledge into midwifery practice, ensuring it is relevant, accessible, and impactful in maternity and perinatal settings.
- Foster collaboration between midwives, educators, and genomic services to promote shared learning and innovation.
- Champion the voices of midwives, ensuring their insights and concerns shape genomic education, service design, and policy.
Together, we can build a future where genomics enhances equity, understanding, and outcomes for every family we support.
Do you have a learning pledge that you would like to share?
Simply scan the QR code below or use this link: 'What is your learning pledge?' to share via MS Forms.
