Intermountain Precision Genomics Announces Translational Science Center

Intermountain Precision Genomics announces the creation of a Translational Science Center (TSC) within the Intermountain Healthcare system. The center will house several of the latest high-throughput next-generation sequencing instruments for large-scale whole genome sequencing. This initiative comes as Intermountain’s next step to bring personalized medicine from the lab bench to clinical practice and improve patient’s lives. 

One of the center’s primary goals will be to sequence groups of samples from Intermountain’s extensive BioRepository, where biopsy specimens have been stored for decades. In reference to the biobank, Lincoln Nadauld, MD, PhD, stated, “The secrets to how we should treat our patients in the future are locked away in our samples stored from patients of the past.” The Translational Science Center will create a pipeline of genomic information and eventually impact personalized clinical practice. The TSC will also collaborate with investigators and clinicians inside and outside the network of Intermountain hospitals and clinics to enable their research initiatives. 

To spearhead the buildout and operation of the center, Intermountain has recruited Helaman Escobar as Director of Translational Science & Research. He joins the Precision Genomics group bringing many years of experience managing academic and commercial high-throughput genomic operations. According to Escobar, “There are not too many organizations with the pioneering mind frame of Intermountain; including the critical mass of physicians, investigators, precious samples (with longitudinal medical record) and all the infrastructure to support such a unique genomics initiative. We are poised to do something of tremendous impact. It’s very exciting to be part of this from its inception.”

Eventually, the Translational Science Center will be an integral part of the Intermountain Cancer Center, currently part of the ongoing expansion at Dixie Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah. The new Intermountain Cancer Center is slated for completion mid-summer 2018. Meanwhile, the TSC will occupy space next to the Precision Genomics Clinical Core Laboratory. Sequencing genomes will start as soon as April 2017. The first projects will include pancreatic, breast and colorectal cancer studies. 

For more information about Intermountain Precision Genomics, please visit: precisioncancer.org, join the dialog on Facebook (Intermountain Precision Genomics) or follow @precisioncancer on Twitter.