Dear IHCC Members,

To begin we wish to bring your attention to several news items that highlight the scientific efforts of our outstanding collaborators.

Our IHCC Pilot Projects continue to publish important scientific findings. The IHCC 2023, Q1 Newsletter highlighted the Opioid Cohort Consortium (OPICO), and this research team recently published in the British Journal of Anesthesia, and had another manuscript accepted by eClinical Medicine. Check out all of the IHCC publications on our website.

As reported in our last newsletter, the IHCC Workgroups for: 1) Training & Workforce Development;  and 2) Policy & Infrastructure, have been reorganized within our parent organization, the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (GGMC), to serve both consortia programs, IHCC and G2MC.  The newly branded GGMC Workforce and Training Workgroup has been busy over the last few months creating both a group charter and a needs-assessment survey for the Early Career Investigators (ECIs) in both the IHCC and G2MC consortia.  Without skipping a beat, this team continued our monthly Educational Webinar Series (GGMC Monthly Webinars) that explores new methods for applying genomic approaches to both cohort science and clinical implementation. As always, the webinars are free to attend and open to the public, and are a great way to learn more about this rapidly evolving field. Please recommend them to your colleagues who may be interested.

The IHCC is continually conducting a series of surveys to assess the needs and interests of its members. Recently, along with the UK Biobank, Genomics England and others, the IHCC sent a survey to our members to catalog and support bold, cross-cohort project opportunities, prioritized by their potential to impact global health. These surveys will help us to better understand how the IHCC can support its members and to develop new programs and resources to meet those needs. We encourage all IHCC members to participate in these surveys. 

We are excited about the progress that IHCC is making and are confident that with your continued support, we will continue to make a real difference in the field of collaborative cohort studies. 

Finally, we want to thank all our IHCC members for participating in our activities and who continue to provide valuable input to the IHCC surveys, workshops, webinars, newsletters, and meetings throughout the year.  You are the focus of these efforts as we endeavor to convene, connect, and catalyze successful scientific collaborations across the IHCC. We are truly grateful for your time and effort. Together we will achieve our vision as a Global community of cohorts working together to advance science and improve health for all.

As always we welcome your input and guidance – please reach out anytime.

Sincerely,

Michele, Geoff, and Peter