The MEDical GENomics excellence laboratory, GENMED, has the objective of promoting the development of research projects on human diseases which are competitive at national and international level. Thus, GENMED evaluates, develops and sets up, in a high-throughput production environment, new-generation technologies and methodologies combined with integrated analysis of genomic data.

GENMED is coordinated by Dr. Jean-François Deleuze, Scientific Director of the Jean Dausset Foundation -CEPH and Director of the National Center of Human Genomics Research (CNRGH-CEA). GENMED is copiloted by Prof. François Cambien, INSERM emeritus Research Director. GENMED results from the collaboration of three partners: 

1. the Jean Dausset Foundation -CEPH,
2. UMR_S-1166 INSERM/Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 'Genomics and pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases' team,
3. the CNRGH-CEA National Center of Human Genomics Research.
   

GENMED is organized in support of 4 principal focuses:

1. The use of new high-throughput approaches based on new-generation sequencing including sequencing of the exome, whole-genome sequencing and analyses of expression and epigenetic modifications.
2. Study of collections of sufficient size and particularly well characterized at phenotypic level to ensure the success of those approaches.
3. Development of high-throughput functional genomics to investigate, for example, the functional consequences of the genetic or epigenetic variations identified by the genome-scale approaches.
4. Development, evaluation and setup of new methods for the processing and quality control of genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic data and their integration using appropriate statistical and bioinformatics methodologies.

The shared objectives of GENMED are as follows:

1. Cooperating on projects with high medical genomics potential,
2. Exploiting the data generated,
3. Promoting interactions and communication between collaborators,
4. Developing between-team synergies designed to enhance GENMED.

GENMED has financing of € 10.8 million over an 8-year period enabling GENMED to conduct 8 innovative projects in the fields of personalized medicine and translational medicine on a national and international scale. The projects consist in identification of new targets or biomarkers in several diseases such as autism, dilated cardiomyopathy, rare diseases, breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The strategy implemented should be deployable for other diseases and thus enable major advances.

In particular, GENMED is to support 'patrimonial' projects such as:

1. Whole-genome sequencing of several hundred French subjects, which may be used as a reference by the entire scientific community,
2. Development of an innovative database promoting information sharing.

LABEX GENMED - CEA/Institut F. Jacob/CNRGH  Launch Meeting