YNHHS, Yale partner on personalized medicine initiative

The Yale Center for Genome Analysis held a ribbon cutting in May to expand the center's West Campus location and celebrate its role in a new precision health initiative launched in conjunction with Yale New Haven Health System.

Yale is a leader in the development of genome sequencing – which involves studying the DNA patterns associated with different diseases – and its clinical applications, such as detecting prenatal and newborn diseases. The Yale Center for Genome Analysis will also use sequencing to develop personalized treatments for patients at Smilow Cancer Hospital. The university and Yale New Haven Hospital are launching an initiative to study the genomic makeup of a large group of patients and to track their health outcomes over time. This effort follows the lead of the National Institutes of Health's Precision Medicine Initiative, which seeks to realize the clinical potential of personalized medicine.

In addition to its clinical potential, the Yale initiative is expected to create significant opportunities for new businesses and jobs, as Yale and Yale New Haven Health work to build private-public partnerships.