Covid Connections

A series of talks looking at the role genomics is playing in fighting the pandemic.

Join us for a series of panel discussions, organised by Wellcome Connecting Science and COG UK (COVID19 Genomics UK Consortium). Based on Covid19 and the role genomics science is playing in combatting the pandemic, hear from the people who are making this happen. Panellists will be from across the COG UK consortium.

Previous talks:

Wednesday 11th August, 18:00-19:30

Big data in a pandemic world – How our data defies travel restrictions to go global

Global gathering and sharing of data is crucial to track, understand and tackle the evolving threat of coronavirus. In the UK alone, vital new knowledge has grown out of data provided by many tens of thousands of people. With such vast pools of information, we’ll explore how co-operation, sharing and trust across communities and borders is key to making sense of it all.

Event chair: Vivienne Parry OBE

Panel: Matt Sinnott (Wellcome Sanger Institute), Matt Pearce (EMBL-EBI), Sam Nicholls (University of Birmingham)

Wednesday 14th July, 18:00-19:30

From mild to mortal: Unlocking the mystery of Covid19 symptoms

One of the mysteries of Covid19 is the vastly different ways it can affect peoples’ health. While one person may become seriously ill, another may display no symptoms at all. We’ll explore how genomics is helping to understand our susceptibility to the virus.

Wednesday 9th June, 18:00-19:30

When does a variant become a villain?

With announcements of new variants of the coronavirus appearing more and more in the headlines, what exactly is changing and when do changes become concerns? We’ll discuss how genomics is helping us keep one step ahead of the virus with new tests and treatments.

Wednesday 12th May, 18:00-19:30

Shedding light on the invisible: How genomics is helping defeat a pandemic

As we all experience the second year of living with the invisible and deadly foe that is coronavirus, we explore the pervasive role genomics has played in understanding the virus, tracking its spread and developing novel vaccines.

You can also explore our Public Engagement and yourgenome YouTube channels for some great films and resources.