The Jackson Laboratory began the new year with some terrific news.

January marked the establishment of a new institute, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, in Farmington, Conn.

Understandably, much of the media attention has been focused on the
institute’s economic impact. Connecticut is now poised to become a
significant player on both the research and clinical sides of genomic
medicine, also commonly known as personalized or precision medicine,
and will realize economic benefits from that. The collaboration will also
directly benefit Connecticut’s citizens by bringing them better healthcare.

For those outside of Connecticut, the new deal has exciting potential
on a broader scale. Significant gaps remain between genomic research
and the doctors who work daily with patients. Most doctors don’t
have significant genetics education, and the system within which they
work—including regulators, insurers, pharmaceutical companies
and so on—is not yet prepared to deliver effective genetics-based
therapies. JAX Genomic Medicine will bring researchers and clinicians
under the same roof, speeding the interchange between them.

Moreover it will be supported by the unmatched resources of
The Jackson Laboratory. JAX Genomic Medicine’s ability to study
patient conditions directly in the best research models available, then
quickly translate those findings back to doctors, brings significant
advantages. It promises to provide genomic medicine with a more
robust researcher/clinician interface and accelerate discovery to
the benefit of patients in Connecticut and around the world. 

What is personalized medicine? Learn more