Generation Scotland: genomic science supporting health

Professor David Morris, Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Dundee, and Professor David Porteous, Professor of Human Molecular Genetics and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh disucss genetics.

The three current health priorities in Scotland – cancer, heart disease/stroke and mental health have a significant heritable component. However the specific nature of the heritable risk factors for chronic disease remains elusive. With the completion of the human genome project, there is an opportunity to identify and potentially neutralise these heritable (genetic) risk factors.

Funding from the Scottish Executive and SHEFC has brought together Scotland’s clinical medical schools and the NHS in a cutting-edge collaboration (Generation Scotland) which will transform our approach to the treatment of disease. Generation Scotland will expand Scotland’s ability to transform our expertise into improved health care and provide the infrastructure to keep Scotland at the forefront of the emerging field of healthcare genetics.

Scottish universities, NHS Scotland, the National e-Science Centre and Generation Scotland will recruit 50,000 people over five years to investigate the role of genetics in Scotland’s health problems. The programme will link anonymously information on the lifestyle and healthcare history of the participants with their DNA profile.

In this lecture, the origins and rationale of Generation Scotland will be reviewed, and the opportunities for Scotland to demonstrate international leadership in health and wealth creation will be discussed.

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