Global Genes™ honours work of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

13 Sep 2014

The work of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) was recognized at the 3rd Annual Tribute to Champions of Hope Gala of Global Genes™, an event honoring those who are leading the fight against rare disease.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, USA (September 13, 2014) — The work of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) was recognized at the 3rd Annual Tribute to Champions of Hope Gala of Global Genes™, an event honoring those who are leading the fight against rare disease. GA4GH leaders David Altshuler and Peter Goodhand received the Global Genes’ RARE Champions of Hope Award for Collaborations in Science, recognizing the work of GA4GH to promote responsible data sharing and accelerate improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of rare disease and in human health generally.

“In a little more than one year, the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health has evolved from an idea into a vibrant and diverse international coalition working to accelerate human health. We are making progress on harmonized tools and approaches to share and integrate genomic data and clinical information, which will allow researchers to find the proverbial ‘needle in the haystack’ for patients with rare diseases,” said David Altshuler, Deputy Director and Chief Academic Officer of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and Chair of the GA4GH Transitional Steering Committee. “We are honored to be recognized for the Alliance’s work, especially as it relates to combatting rare diseases, and share this recognition with the hundreds of Global Alliance Partners who are making this progress possible.”

“We’re in the midst of a revolution in genomics research and medicine, and the Global Alliance is a truly collaborative effort – involving over 220 leading organizations around the world – working to ensure that data can be shared in a way that will improve human health and enable better treatment of rare disease,” said Peter Goodhand, Acting Executive Director of the Global Alliance. “On behalf of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, we are humbled by this award, and excited to continue the fight.”

The RARE Champions of Hope Award was presented to the two GA4GH leaders for the formation of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health in June 2013 and for the organization’s work to enable the responsible sharing of genomic and clinical information. By allowing clinicians to analyze large data sets collectively, such sharing could unlock the potential to diagnose disorders that are collectively common but individually very rare, such that no single hospital will ever see enough cases to forge convincing links between genetic mutations and disease.

Global Genes™ is a rare disease patient advocacy organization whose mission is to eliminate rare diseases by raising awareness and by providing resources for those impacted by such diseases. The organization’s 3rd Annual Tribute to Champions of Hope Gala took place in Huntington Beach, California and brought together rare disease advocates, researchers, pharmaceutical representatives, and philanthropists.

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The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health is an international, non-profit alliance formed to help accelerate the potential of genomic medicine to advance human health. Bringing together over 220 leading institutions working in healthcare, research, disease and patient advocacy, life science, and information technology, partners in the Global Alliance are working together to create a common framework of standards and harmonized approaches to enable the responsible, voluntary, and secure sharing of genomic and clinical data. Learn more at: http://genomicsandhealth.org.