ICGNMD Reception hosted by Dr Dame Nicola Brewer and Prof Michael Hanna

A reception event was held on 21st January to mark the recruitment of the ICGNMD international fellows who will be based in centres in each of the partner countries, and who are attending a one- month induction at UCL and UK partner universities, Newcastle and Cambridge.

The induction month is intended to introduce the new fellows to the UK PIs and teams, and to train them in methods of data capture to be used in this new international centre. The Centre recognises the power of international partnerships, and will harness rapid advances in genomic medicine. It will train a new generation of clinicians in genomic medicine, and has the potential to advance genetic understanding and improve patient care for patients with neuromuscular diseases on a global scale.

Over 60 people attended the reception, including the 15 international fellows, PIs from UCL, Cambridge and Newcastle Universities, delegates from the MRC, as well as embassy representatives from Turkey, India, Brazil and Zambia.

UCL’s Dr Dame Nicola Brewer opened the event. As Vice-Provost (International), Nicola is responsible for UCL’s Global Engagement Strategy: London’s Global University working with partners to achieve fair solutions to global challenges. She supervises one of UCL’s four Schools, the Institute of Education.

The MRC International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases is a partnership led by UCL, and includes Newcastle and Cambridge Universities in the UK and centres in five lower and middle-income countries: Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey and Zambia.