Coriell Honors the Sherpa

I have to start posting more on weekdays....but when the press is slow and the studies aren't good...I have a hard time giving you fluff. Don't get me wrong. Some sites do a nice job of recapping things posted by other sites and monitoring the crowd for you. I think Hsien, Walter, and Berci do a tremendous job of this. In addition my favorite writer Misha also has a funny thing or two to say at Genomeboy. I also love to point you in the direction of our DNA Network which always has some interesting news.

I am writing today to talk about a pretty interesting project going on at Coriell. I had posted on this prior, but now it is personal. I have been invited to sit on The Informed Cohort Oversight Board (ICOB) for the Delaware Valley Personalized Medicine Project. This is a tremendous honor and I want to thank Dr Mike Christman CEO/President of Coriell for inviting me. Personally, I think that this seat is right in my wheelhouse. Especially since I have been monitoring these SNP studies for several years now. The ICOB which will meet for the first time in June and determine which variants are medically actionable is set to lead the way for similar projects. We plan to debate and write opinions on these items.

For those who don't know about this project let me give you some more information. Unlike the exome project of Dr George Church, Coriell is using the standard Affy 1 million SNPChip. But like Dr Church's project we will be meeting to debate the significance of each polymorphism and most importantly, define medically actionable SNPs. There are over 250 participants now and unlike Dr Church's project, We are not funded by Google. But the project does need some solid, responsible funding....I know they will find that.

Do I dislike Google? No. I think they have a great model. Should they enter healthcare? Only if they vow to take the Hippocratic Oath, Form an IRB and submit to the same stringent standards as any Academic Institution. Otherwise.....No Way! I have always loved this doomsday scenario, check it out! This coming from a guy who is an Avid fan of Jericho. Has anyone else had issues with blogger lately????? Coincidence? Hmmm.....

The Sherpa Says:
I am honored to be participating in this wonderful project. Please take a look and see that it has all the hallmarks of an upright and worthy cause. I hope all future investigators can follow this path.....