NEW YORK – Baylor College of Medicine received a $3.5 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute to study how to develop best practices for implementing cost-effective, comprehensive inpatient genomic medicine in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in underserved Texas communities.
The research is part of the Making Genomics Accessible to Newborns in Texas (MAGNET) program, which aims to improve genetic diagnoses of sick newborns in NICUs at hospitals across underserved regions of South and West Texas using low-cost whole genome and RNA sequencing technologies. Providers at these hospitals will be trained in using genomic medicine tools and incorporating genomic data into clinical decision-making to implement personalized treatments for genetic diseases.
As part of the program, Baylor will adapt its online Consultagene platform for inpatient return of results, virtual genetic counseling, and provider consultation. Baylor will also study the impact that access to these resources has on patients, their families, and providers.
"Many babies born at smaller hospitals lack access to genetic evaluation and testing, remain undiagnosed, and are unable to benefit from early personalized medical treatment," Brendan Lee, the program's co-principal investigator and chair of the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor, said in a statement.
"We have successfully used the Consultagene platform to improve access to care for Hispanic children with rare diseases at the Texas-Mexico border through Project GIVE since 2022," said Seema Lalani, professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor. "The MAGNET program now gives us the opportunity to deliver advanced genomic care to critically ill newborns in this region with limited resources."
Earlier this year, Baylor College of Medicine launched a new medical research lab for developing multiomic clinical assays in collaboration with Baylor Genetics.