NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Inova Health System and the University of Virginia have agreed to form a comprehensive research and education partnership that is aimed at advancing the science of precision medicine and improving the health of the Commonwealth's citizens.
Specifically, the partners aim to develop the Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Institute, which will be located at the Inova Center for Personalized Health (ICPH). The institute will recruit investigators to engage in collaborative research projects focused on genomics, functional biology, bioinformatics, biologically driven engineering, precision medicine, translational research, and development of targeted therapeutics.
Also, researchers at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute and UVA Cancer Center will jointly seek to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, the partners said. They will also establish a regional campus of the UVA School of Medicine at Inova to enable UVA medical students to complete their clerkship and post-clerkship education at Inova facilities. The partners will also look into creating a biomedical investment vehicle through which they will be able to commercialize innovative research discoveries.
The institutions expect to finalize the details of their agreement later this year.
"This partnership leverages the complementary strengths of two institutions committed to providing the most advanced treatments and prevention strategies to the communities we serve," Inova Health System CEO Knox Singleton said in a statement. He expects that the partnership will "drive economic growth and diversification in the region and position the Commonwealth of Virginia at the forefront of healthcare, scientific, and technological innovation."
ICPH CEO Todd Stottlemeyer noted in his comments that the partnership will expand Inova's precision medicine research efforts and "help us to realize the promise of personalized health."