Baylor College of Medicine has been awarded $3.5 million by the National Human Genome Research Institute to support the MAGNET program, which aims to enhance genetic services for newborns in underserved Texas communities. The initiative will address challenges in implementing genomic medicine in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) that lack necessary resources.
Dr. Brendan Lee, co-principal investigator and professor at Baylor, noted the progress in diagnosing genetic conditions: “Only 20 years ago, less than 3% of genetic conditions in newborns could be molecularly diagnosed,” he said. “Today, with routine genomic tests at academic medical centers, more than one-third of these cases can be diagnosed with state-of-the-art approaches.”
The MAGNET program will utilize low-cost whole genome and RNA sequencing technologies to improve diagnoses for sick newborns. It plans to adapt Consultagene, an online platform developed by Baylor for outpatient genetic services, for use in NICUs. This adaptation will include virtual genetic counseling and provider consultation with educational videos available in English and Spanish.
Dr. Seema Lalani, another co-principal investigator at Baylor, highlighted previous successes using Consultagene: “We have successfully used the Consultagene platform to improve access to care for Hispanic children with rare diseases at the Texas-Mexico border through Project GIVE since 2022.”
The program intends to form a consortium of clinical partner sites across West and South Texas NICUs. Providers at these sites will receive training on genomic medicine tools and data interpretation to integrate personalized treatments rapidly.
Dr. Stacey Pereira emphasized the broader implications of this work: “By studying how access to advanced genomics services affects critically ill newborns and those involved in their care, the MAGNET program seeks to develop best practices for implementing cost-effective, comprehensive genomic platforms like Consultagene in under-resourced settings.”
This project is supported by a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (1R01HG013428-01A1).
