The next interview in our Nordic Precision Medicine Forum 2020/21 series is one we conducted with Dr. Toni Andreu, Scientific Director, EATRIS.
In this Q&A interview, Dr. Andreu discusses the organisation he works for, EATRIS, and their impact in the world of Precision Medicine, as well as multi-omics data and its uses.
Keep reading to find out what he had to say…
- Why is EATRIS so important for the continued success of the development of precision medicine?
EATRIS provides a space where scientific groups working on the different elements of the Precision Medicine (PM) value chain can interact, exchange experiences, and create multidisciplinary scientific consortia. Also, it’s multinational nature facilitates a cross-border collaboration space for the development of PM.
- How can multi-omics data be applied to ‘real-world’ situations? What does EATRIS use this data for?
Multi-omics data will be essential for the development of PM, particularly in disease domains where the genomic background accounts only for a fraction of the causative expression of the phenotype. Disease domains such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and so on need a more precise understanding of the individual biological signatures that are determinant for the progression of the disease.
- Why is this type of data so important for the development of preclinical and early clinical development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics?
Without multi-omic data, we won´t have robust, high-quality individual biomarkers that are essential as checkpoints for the development of patient-tailored approaches, both at the preclinical level and at the clinical research level.
- How will ‘big data’ enable researchers to advance the development of precision medicine?
You can only gain precision by having enough data for developing powerful stratification strategies. Paradoxically, a massive approach is a necessary condition for finding individual solutions.
Another fascinating interview from one of our guest speakers at this year’s Nordic Precision Medicine Forum Virtual 2020. Thank you to Dr. Andreu for taking the time to answer these questions for us.
Dr. Andreu will be speaking at the November 4 event about unlocking the true potential of multi-omics data.
If you’re interested in attending the event and want to find out more about it, please visit our website HERE.
