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BGI and UW Medicine have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on biomedical technology development. The shared aim is to advance precision medicine for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of common and rare diseases. BGI is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
The memorandum of understanding was signed during the third day of a Murray-led trade delegation to three cities in China, which also includes Hong Kong and Hangzhou. The mission is part of an ongoing effort to encourage more foreign direct investment in Seattle, expand economic opportunities for local companies, and establish international partnerships.
“This agreement between the Cities of Seattle and Shenzhen will encourage and support meaningful cooperation between two global leaders of innovation in medical research and technology,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said. “Ultimately, it will create new opportunities for our biotech and health care industries, and help advance pioneering medical technology that will benefit patients, doctors and communities around the globe.
“UW Medicine and BGI share the same goal to improve the heath of the public,” said Dr. Yiwu He, global head of research and development at BGI. “Through our partnership, efforts and resources will be joined to produce more innovative healthcare solutions in precision medicine that will lead to more effective treatments available to patients. Advanced technologies and knowledge will also become more accessible to professionals and the public due to this partnership.”
BGI President Dr. Jian Wang, said, “As an alumnus of UW, I am really excited about the stronger tie BGI and UW have formed.”He added, “With the commitment of UW Medicine and BGI, more innovations in research, education and healthcare will be developed between Seattle and Shenzhen to benefit the health of people worldwide.”
“BGI is a respected partner in scientific discovery. This new relationship will help fast-track genomic research in some critical areas of medicine,” said Dr. John Slattery, vice dean for research and graduate education at UW Medicine.
“We at the UW are looking forward to working alongside BGI in charting the future of genomics research, especially in accelerating the application of new sequencing technologies to human health,” said Dr. Jay Shendure, an M.D./Ph.D scientist and professor of genome sciences at the UW, and a national advisor on precision medicine initiatives.
