GA4GH presents vision for genomic and clinical data sharing

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) calls for a federated data ecosystem for sharing genomic and clinical data, in Science (9 June 2016)

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More than 400 organizations, spanning more than 70 countries, are members of the Global Alliance for Genomic Health (GA4GH), which brings the community together to establish the standards needed, and build the tools necessary for, global data sharing of genomic and clinical data among researchers
In Science (9 June 2016), a diverse team of international leaders in academia, research, medicine, and industry, including Richard Durbin, Julia Wilson, Stephen Keenan, and David Lloyd of the Wellcome Trust, argues that a common framework of principles, protocols, and interoperable technical systems are necessary to enable responsible and effective data sharing. GA4GH was established in 2013 to bring the community together to build the tools and establish the standards necessary to achieve that goal. Today, it counts more than 400 organizations and more than 700 individuals in its membership, which spans more than 70 countries.

“These stakeholders are working together across traditional boundaries to create the common framework that will allow us to make best use of the millions of genome sequences that currently sit in siloed databases around the globe.”

Peter Goodhand GA4GH Executive Director and a member of the author group

“We are at a critical time for genomic data interpretation. We know from the international research that led human genome sequencing that the key to understanding individual genetic differences is to compare them to data from other people. But the scaling up of genomics for clinical use is being carried out by organisations that do not necessarily have the traditions or mechanisms in place to carry out the necessary sharing. We must establish trusted systems to enable safe mutual clinical benefit via effective data exchange.”

Richard Durbin Co-chair of the GA4GH Data Working Group from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK

To date, GA4GH has created a toolkit of diverse products, including the Genomics API, which allows disparate technology services to exchange genotypic and phenotypic data, as well as the Framework for Responsible Sharing of Genomic and Health-Related Data, which outlines the basic principles and core elements for responsible data sharing. GA4GH has also catalyzed the development of three data sharing projects which aim to illustrate the value of sharing data in real world contexts.

These consist of:

  • an open-ended approach to sharing data across the Internet (the Beacon Project)
  • an international collaboration among breast cancer genetics experts (the BRCA Challenge)
  • a peer-to-peer network of clinicians (Matchmaker Exchange).

In addition to outlining successes, the paper notes a variety of remaining challenges to sharing data across national and institutional boundaries. For example, the membership is currently working on solutions to secure data access while maximizing the scope of information that can be shared, to create tools that are flexible enough to be readily implemented in different knowledge domains, and to establish sustainable funding models that support data curation, hosting, and computation.

“Private funders and national governments will need to be involved on some level to support these activities so that clinicians and scientists may access as much free, curated data as possible. The Sanger Institute has supported the Global Alliance since its inception as we are committed to helping researchers and clinicians access and freely share the genomic and related health data they need to transform human health.”

Professor Mike Stratton Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, CEO of the Wellcome Genome Campus, and a member of the GA4GH Strategic Advisory Board

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  • The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

    The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health is an international, non-profit alliance formed to accelerate the potential of genomic medicine to advance human health. Bringing together over 400 leading organizations working in healthcare, research, disease and patient advocacy, life science, and information technology, GA4GH Members are working together to create a common framework of tools, methods, and harmonized approaches and supporting demonstration projects to enable the responsible, voluntary, and secure sharing of genomic and clinical data.

  • The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

    The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease.

  • The Wellcome Trust

    The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests.