{"id":153391,"date":"2025-08-17T15:15:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T15:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/153391\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T15:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T15:15:23","slug":"usf-joins-statewide-effort-to-expand-newborn-genetic-screening-and-genomic-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/153391\/","title":{"rendered":"USF joins statewide effort to expand newborn genetic screening and genomic medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of South Florida is leveraging its position as Florida\u2019s leader in
\n genetic counseling and precision medicine to help launch a statewide program that
\n will give families the option to have their newborn\u2019s entire genetic code sequenced
\n at birth.<\/p>\n

The five-year newborn screening pilot program, created by the Sunshine Genetics Act (HB 907)<\/a> and championed by Rep. Adam Anderson, aims to identify potentially serious, but treatable
\n conditions early, allowing doctors to begin care before symptoms appear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The act also established the Sunshine Genetics Consortium, a network of top clinical
\n and academic leaders from Florida\u2019s universities and children\u2019s hospitals, to administer
\n the pilot program and advance cutting-edge research in genomic medicine. USF\u2019s partnership
\n with the consortium was celebrated at the USF Health Downtown facility today, where
\n state and university leaders highlighted the initiative\u2019s future impact for Florida
\n families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUSF’s trailblazing genomic research, amplified by the Sunshine Genetics Act, will
\n revolutionize health care and give Florida\u2019s children a brighter, healthier tomorrow,\u201d
\n Anderson said. \u201cTheir vital work in early detection and innovative care is transforming
\n lives, and I\u2019m excited to see the program’s growth as USF continues to lead the charge
\n for healthier futures.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the U.S., an estimated 10,000 rare diseases affect 30 million Americans, with 80%
\n of these conditions being genetic. For many, genetic testing is the only way to make
\n a definitive diagnosis. Early intervention can improve health, reduce hospital visits
\n and enhance quality of life.<\/p>\n

As part of the Sunshine Genetics Consortium, USF will leverage its expertise in genomics
\n to advance the early detection of rare diseases in newborns. At Tampa General Hospita<\/a>l, USF Health researchers and clinicians will offer genetic screening and genome sequencing
\n at no cost to families, made possible through state funding that supports the program.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Tampa General is an ideal clinical setting for the pilot program, delivering more
\n than 7,000 babies each year and managing the state\u2019s highest-risk cases. Its Department
\n of Obstetrics & Gynecology, led by USF Health<\/a> faculty, was recently ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida by U.S. News & World Report.<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0
\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Joining USF as partners in the consortium are Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital, Florida
\n International University, Florida State University, the University of Miami and the
\n University of Florida. Together, the network aims to expand collaborative pediatric
\n rare disease research across the state and accelerate the growth of Florida\u2019s genomic
\n medicine industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sunshine Genetics Act that Rep. Anderson championed offers opportunities to decode
\n the mysteries of rare genetic disorders, bringing hope \u2014 rather than despair \u2014 to
\n thousands of families in Florida and beyond,\u201d USF President Rhea Law said. \u201cThe University
\n of South Florida is dedicated to improving lives and creating a healthier future for
\n all, and we look forward to contributing to this critically important initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n\"Group<\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\"Sunshine<\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This initiative builds upon USF\u2019s long history as the state\u2019s leader in genetic counseling
\n and genomic medicine. USF Health established the Regional Genetics and Metabolism Program<\/a> in 1977 to provide comprehensive evaluation and care for children and adolescents
\n with genetic conditions, and the USF College of Public Health<\/a> is home to Florida\u2019s only accredited Genetic Counseling Graduate Program<\/a>. Its graduates represent approximately 20% of all practicing genetic counselors in
\n the state.<\/p>\n

USF researchers are also leading one of the few NIH-funded studies evaluating genetic
\n counseling outcomes, while scientists at the Morsani College of Medicine \u2014 Florida\u2019s top-ranked and only Tier 1 medical school<\/a> for research according to U.S. News & World Report \u2014 are pioneering discoveries in
\n the fields of gene therapy, genetic mapping and cardio genetics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the Sunshine Genetics Act, Florida will be at the forefront of research
\n and development of new tools to save babies\u2019 lives and improve their health,\u201d said
\n Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF
\n Health Morsani College of Medicine. \u201cUSF Health is honored to participate in the Sunshine
\n Genetics Consortium, and we look forward to lending our considerable resources \u2014 from
\n genetic counseling and education programs to our extensive research infrastructure
\n \u2014 to collaborative efforts that will advance the science in an arena so important
\n to the future of Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The University of South Florida is leveraging its position as Florida\u2019s leader in genetic counseling and precision medicine…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":153392,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[815,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-153391","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-genetics","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115044766420729754","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}