Intermountain Healthcare, SGTC Collaborate on Clinical Genomics

Intermountain Healthcare and the Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC) have established a new collaborative research program that sets the stage for scientific advances in precision health and medicine. The joint research team is composed of members of Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC), based in Palo Alto, California, and the Precision Genomics Core Laboratory, based in St. George, Utah. This team of researchers, clinicians and other experts are working to identify novel biomarkers using an advanced array of technologies developed at SGTC.

The emphasis will be on solving clinical issues for patients using cutting-edge technologies that enable delivery of precision health. This agreement will also provide scientific expertise and research support for Intermountain Healthcare’s Precision Genomics. The collaboration is part of a recently announced partnership between Intermountain Healthcare and Stanford Medicine to support revolutionary projects in research, patient care and medical education.

"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," said Terri Kane, Vice President of Intermountain Healthcare's Southwest Region. "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."

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, stated, “I’m honored to be part of this research program in which will we 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.”
 
One of the key objectives in the collaboration is to determine the clinical benefits associated with applying molecular analysis to patient care. According to Dr. Lincoln Nadauld, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director of Precision Medicine and Precision Genomics at Intermountain Healthcare, “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.”
 
When asked what this collaboration means to the community, Nadauld added, “It is an incredibly exciting opportunity to see some of the most advanced scientific approaches and technologies applied in clinical settings at Intermountain. It confirms that we are capable of leveraging important innovations in biomedical research for the good of our patients. The community support for everything that we are doing here at Intermountain has been tremendous in the past and we have no doubt that it will continue.”