The Medical Mile in Grand Rapids is one step closer to becoming a destination for DNA diagnostics and treatments of rare diseases, thanks to collaborative efforts between Michigan State University, Spectrum Health and Van Andel Institute to recruit an internationally renowned genomics scientist and informatician to the area.
Liz Worthey is a faculty investigator and director of software development and informatics of the Clinical Services Lab at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Ala. She has accepted academic and research appointments at the MSU College of Human Medicine as well as research appointments at Spectrum Health, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Van Andel Institute.
The tools Worthey and her team develop are used to identify and interpret molecular variation in diagnosing patients with rare or undiagnosed diseases and to assist clinicians in selecting, defining and developing treatments.
Worthey said technological advances have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the cost of genomic data generation, leading to widespread adoption in a variety of translational research, clinical and population genomics programs.
Genomic data has emerged as one key component of precision medicine. Expansion in this type of medical treatment is now being seen in many settings from rapid molecular diagnoses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, through widespread non-invasive prenatal genetic testing, to rapid detection of infectious agents in outbreaks.
“Application of these approaches within a forward-thinking health care system will be key in using these advances to further impact health and health care,” Worthey said. “I’m looking forward to working with colleagues to lead just that type of effort in Grand Rapids.”
According to Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Spectrum Health, genomics and precision medicine represent the new frontier in health care.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Worthey to West Michigan to advance our work in this area,” Decker said. “We’re also excited that our partnership with MSU College of Human Medicine and Van Andel Institute has resulted in bringing Dr. Worthey to Grand Rapids. Her expertise in rare diseases offers the potential of new answers and more hope for the children and families we serve.”
In addition to her roles within HudsonAlpha, Worthey served as adjunct associate professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, in the Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics. She is also an honorary fellow in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
“This announcement underscores the collective strength of our unique health science collaboration in Grand Rapids,” said Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., dean of the College of Human Medicine. “The opportunities we can offer through our connectivity are unprecedented and highly attractive to human health researchers and medical entrepreneurs.”
Worthey also is a co-founder and chief informatics and product development officer for Envision Genomics, a resident associate company at HudsonAlpha. She received her Ph.D. in genetics from the Department of Clinical Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College, London, U.K. She also received her postgraduate diploma in quantitative genetics from the University of Birmingham, U.K., and her Bachelore of Science with honours degree in immunology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
“Dr. Worthey brings a wealth of world-class big data expertise to Grand Rapids, which will catalyze collaboration and innovation along the Medical Mile,” said Peter A. Jones, Van Andel Institute chief scientific officer. “She is an outstanding scientist who bridges the realms of research and medicine in novel ways, immediately elevating our ability to transform human health in West Michigan and beyond.”