Synopsis
Very large, truly population-representative pregnancy cohorts are rare internationally. Generation Victoria (GenV) is a whole-state cohort targeting all newborns (~150,000) and their parents over 2 full years. Components include (i) families recruited soon after birth, (ii) biospecimens from pregnancy onwards, (iii) extensive data linkage supplemented by (iv) minimal GenV collected data, all enabling (v) many additional integrated research studies, both observational and interventional. We briefly report on GenV’s progress since statewide recruitment began in October 2021. Leading clinician-scientists then showcase funded novel studies already leveraging GenV’s whole-of-state design to seek better and more equitable prevention, prediction and treatments spanning developmental hip dysplasia, safety of medicines in pregnancy for children’s outcomes, loss of developmental skills, infectious causes of hearing loss, and vaccine safety in pregnancy. We discuss the crucial role of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) and its implications for future Campus research.
Got an idea? Go to https://www.genv.org.au/for-researchers/enquire-about-collaborating-with-genv/
Speakers
Professor Melissa Wake is a paediatrician and Scientific Director of Generation Victoria (GenV).
Associate Professor Leo Donnan is a senior RCH orthopaedic surgeon who is establishing the MRFF-funded “VicHip” statewide registry for developmental dysplasia of the hip, in collaboration with GenV.
Dr Jessika Hu is a senior epidemiologist and GenV Solutions Hub Co-Lead. Jessica aims to bring state-wide birthing hospitals’ clinical data into GenV to study safer medicine use for mothers and babies.
Dr Melinda Barker is a neuropsychologist and Co-Director of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program, which reaches 99%+ of all Victorian newborns and is a foundation partner of GenV.
Associate Professor Valerie Sung is a paediatrician and child hearing loss health services researcher, who has developed a point-of-care screen for congenital CMV which could prevent substantial neuro-disability.
Professor Katrina Williams is the head of Monash Department of Paediatrics, public health physician and epidemiologist, and is establishing a statewide loss-of-skills registry, in collaboration with GenV.
Associate Professor Margie Danchin is an RCH consultant paediatrician who leads the MCRI’s Vaccine Uptake Group, and a GenV-supported project which to show the safety of COVID and flu vaccines in pregnancy.