The Genomics Era: new course on the future of genetics in medicine
St George’s University launches five-week online course in genomics
Genomics for many in the health profession is still not always well understood, or even heard of. Part of the remit of HEE’s Genomics Education Programme (GEP) is to raise awareness of this exciting emerging field, and educate NHS staff from across the healthcare professions on the impact and applications of genomic medicine.
Therefore, we are always delighted to recognise the efforts of other organisations or initiatives with similar goals. On Monday, St George’s, University of London, with support and funding from Health Education South London, launched its first MOOC (massive open online course) on the Future Learn platform: The Genomics Era: the Future of Genetics in Medicine.
Led by Dr Kate Tatton-Brown, the course has been developed by a team of experts in clinical genetics and education at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, St George’s, University of London, and with input from members of the GEP team.
The Genomics Era is free to join and open to anyone, but has been developed with healthcare professionals in mind. The first week’s activities feature a mix of textual content, video, animation and infographics to introduce topics and concepts including DNA, chromosomes, genes, the production of proteins, and genetic replication and variation.
The course will run for five weeks, with a new set of themed activities made available each Monday. The Future Learn platform embraces the social web, and so learner communication and engagement is encouraged throughout the duration of the course.
Congratulations to the St George’s team for developing what looks to be a comprehensive, lively resource that will spark interest and raise awareness of genomics among healthcare staff. We look forward to seeing what week two has in store!
