PRECISE IHCC Conference: Driving Progress in Precision Health through Global Collaborations

Jointly organised by Precision Health Research, Singapore (PRECISE) and the International Health Cohorts Consortium (IHCC), the conference themed “From Cohorts to Clinics: The New Landscape of Global Healthcare” will bring together more than 500 international thought leaders, clinicians, scientists, biotech experts, and patient advocacy associations at the forefront of precision medicine and public health innovation.

Mr Peter Goodhand, Co-Chair of IHCC and CEO of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), said, “The 2024 PRECISE-IHCC Conference is significant in many ways. Following several years of virtual gatherings, this is IHCC’s first large in-person conference after the pandemic and our first time hosting in Asia. International collaboration is imperative to advance science and drive positive health outcomes for all, and the IHCC plans to provide a forum for global conversations at events on each continent.”

He continued, “The conference has an impressive line-up of speakers and moderators, which is a result of the joint outreach efforts of both PRECISE and IHCC. Drawing on our strong connection with the scientific community and industry, PRECISE and IHCC have worked to collectively engage a diverse group of local and international attendees.”

Providing a Platform for Sharing and Learning

The three-day conference promises to be rewarding and enriching for the attendees. Dr Ricardo A. Verdugo, a member from the 2024 PRECISE-IHCC Conference Scientific Committee, shared, “The team worked closely to curate a line-up that encompasses a wide spectrum of topics. There are going to be sessions both for attendees interested in basic research and how findings are translated to the bedside. Additionally, the scientific committee put up various parallel tracks with non-overlapping topics—so that at any given time participants can find at least one session that is of interest to them.

“Another notable consideration when inviting speakers for the conference is that we consciously made an effort to not just include renowned and experienced experts in epidemiology, genetics, bioinformatics and clinical sciences. We also provide young investigators attending the event with opportunities to present their work. By doing so, we hope to create a platform where young investigators can share their knowledge and, at the same time, facilitate richer learning and knowledge exchange between presenters and participants,” Dr Verdugo explained.

Adding on, Prof Nahla Afifi, another member of the 2024 PRECISE-IHCC Conference Scientific Committee said, “Each of us has a different journey. We are either at a different stage in our careers or have a different focus—research, clinical, policy, ethics, etc. The same applies for the organisations we are with. Take the biobanks and population-based cohort studies for example—while some may be more established or larger, they can certainly benefit from learning experiences of the smaller ones who offer more depth or are more focused.”

Prof Afifi, who is also a Senior Director at Qatar Biobank, elaborated, “Personally, I am looking forward to learning from PRECISE, particularly their experience in managing and fostering strong collaborative ties with their academic and industry partners. Hopefully, we can bring back that knowledge and adapt it to strengthen the growth of Qatar Biobank.”

Creating Opportunities for Finding Solutions Together

Prof Afifi is not alone in her sentiments. Dr Verdugo said, “Conferences like such are not only important for driving positive outcomes in developed and high-income countries, but also middle- and low-income ones. They provide opportunities for these countries to engage and even contribute towards the precision medicine cause—they are game changing.”

“The conference offers an opportunity for people to learn from each other, address collective challenges and explore effective use cases.” Mr Goodhand observed. “We have seen when health initiatives are challenged with under resourcing and limited integrated planning. However, there are also models that we can spotlight, for instance, Singapore’s National Precision Medicine (NPM) programme, which aims to transform healthcare through data-driven healthcare, improve patient outcomes and capture economic value. With attendees and speakers coming from different backgrounds, the upcoming Conference is going to provide a very fertile ground for people to connect, potentially sparking innovative ideas and foster the beginnings of new collaborations.”

“I can’t agree more with Ricardo and Peter. When you bring a group of people who are so professional and passionate about what they are doing together, you can expect a lot of good to come out of it. For one, I am optimistic that there will be a synergy of ideas and innovations emerging from this Conference,” smiled Prof Afifi.

Empowering Advances in Global Healthcare

“Our hope is for the conversations and ideas started at the 2024 PRECISE-IHCC Conference to translate into actionable collaboration,” Mr Goodhand said. “Our ultimate goal is to make a positive impact within the global healthcare landscape.”

To learn more about the conference, visit From Cohorts to Clinics - The New Landscape of Global Healthcare.