Celebrate Public Health Genetics Week from May 24-28,2021 with NCC
May 2021

Megan Lyon, MPH, NCC Senior Program Manager

 

The National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Network (NCC), a cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), works with the seven Regional Genetics Networks (RGNs) and the National Genetics Education and Family Support Center (Family Center) to improve access to genetic services for underserved populations. The system accomplishes this mission by utilizing a public health lens to support the delivery of genetic services. Our efforts center around genetics and genomics educational activities for healthcare providers and families; supporting the delivery of genetic services via telemedicine; and helping individuals and families connect with genetic services. 

Due to our focus on public health genetics, NCC, in collaboration with the RGNs, Family Center, federal government agencies, non-profit organizations, and membership organizations, holds the annual Public Health Genetics Week, which will occur from May 24-28, 2021 this year. The goal of Public Health Genetics Week is to both increase awareness and to celebrate the field of public health genetics.

Each day of Public Health Genetics Week (PHGW) will have a different theme:

  • “What is Public Health Genetics?” May 24
  • “Who is Involved in Public Health Genetics?” May 25
  • “What are Public Health Genetics Programs?” May 26
  • “Public Health Screening” May 27
  • “Public Health Genetics Resources” May 28

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to participate in the week by using the hashtags #PHGW and #PublicHealthGenetics across their social media platforms. In addition to sharing public health genetics information via social media, PHGW will hold the following events throughout the week:

“Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History” Virtual Screening

In collaboration with WETA Washington D.C., virtual daily screenings of “The Gene: An Intimate History” (“THE GENE”) will be held to celebrate Public Health Genetics Week. Listed below is the virtual screening schedule. More information, including registration information, can be found at https://phgw.org/thegene.

  • Monday, May 24 at 8 PM-9 PM ET- Hour 1 of THE GENE 
  • Tuesday, May 25 at 8 PM-9 PM ET – Hour 2 of THE GENE
  • Wednesday, May 26 at 8 PM-9 PM ET Hour 3 of THE GENE
  • Thursday, May 27 at 8 PM-9 PM ET – Hour 4 of THE GENE
  • Friday, May 28 at 2 PM-3 PM ET – Screening of “The Gene Explained (For Those Without Microscopes)- Animated companion series to THE GENE

For more information about the film, visit https://pbs.org/thegene.

Social Media Events

  • Monday, May 24 at 3 PM ET– Reddit AMA with public health genetics experts.
  • Tuesday, May 25 at 6 PM ET– Panel Discussion with public health genetics students.
  • Wednesday, May 26 at 3 PM ET– Twitter chat about Public Health Genetics Programs.
  • Thursday, May 27 at 3 PM ET- Facebook Live about Newborn Screening; and
  • Friday, May 28 at 3 PM ET– Twitter chat about Public Health Genetics Resources.

Other Activities

  • Three different social media video series will be run throughout the week and anyone can contribute by sharing videos or images addressing the following questions:
    • What Does Public Health Genetics Mean to You?
    • How Are You Involved in Public Health Genetics?
    • Public Health Genetics: A Day in the Life
  • Digital Escape Room about “The Gene: An Intimate History”
  • Coloring Pages
  • Zoom Virtual Backgrounds

On PHGW.org, you can find more information about public health genetics and access information about the events listed above. Additionally, the website has a host of tools (such as social media images, GIFs, social media banners, and more) that can be used to celebrate the week.

For questions or comments about Public Health Genetics Week, please contact phgw@phgw.org and be sure to follow NCC (@nccrcg) on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter for the latest updates on the week. We hope to “see” you throughout the week!

NCC Funding Acknowledgement

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Cooperative Agreement #UH9MC30770-01-00 from 6/2020-5/2024 for $800,000 per award year.

This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

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