National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Network (NCC) Announces the Second Annual Public Health Genetics Week, May 24-28, 2021

BETHESDA, Md., May 13, 2021 (Newswire.com) - The National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Network (NCC) is excited to announce the second annual Public Health Genetics Week from May 24-28, 2021. The goal of Public Health Genetics Week is to increase awareness and to celebrate the field of public health genetics.

Each day of Public Health Genetics Week 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.

The following events will also occur throughout the week:

Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History Virtual Screening

In collaboration with WETA Washington, D.C., virtual daily screenings of Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History ("THE GENE") will be held to celebrate Public Health Genetics Week. The landmark four-hour documentary series weaves together science, history, and personal stories to present a historical biography of the human genome, while also exploring groundbreaking breakthroughs for diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases, and the complex web of moral, ethical and scientific questions raised by developments in genetics.

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 answering 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

On PHGW.org, everyone can find more information about the daily themes, social media events, and social media tools (such as daily social media images, GIFs, social media banners, and more).

For questions or comments about Public Health Genetics Week, please contact [email protected] and be sure to follow NCC (@nccrcg) on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter for the latest updates on the week.

About the National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Networks (NCC)

Funded since 2004 by the Health Resources and Services Administration/Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), NCC's mission is to improve access to genetic services for underserved populations. In collaboration with the seven Regional Genetics Network (RGNs) and the National Genetics Education and Family Support Center (NGEFSC), NCC achieves this mission by working in the following focus areas: genetics and genomics education; genetics policy education; telemedicine; and data collection and evaluation. Learn more about the efforts of the NCC at https://nccrcg.org.

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 June 2020 to May 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.

About Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History

Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History is a production of Florentine Films and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media. Executive Producer and Senior Creative Consultant: Ken Burns. Written by Geoffrey C. Ward; and Barak Goodman & David Blistein. Based on the book "The Gene: An Intimate History" by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. Narrator: David Costabile. Senior Producer: Barak Goodman. Directors: Chris Durrance and Jack Youngelson. Executive Producers: Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Dalton Delan, Tom Chiodo, John F. Wilson and Anne Harrington. Production funding has been provided by Genentech, 23andMe, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Gray Foundation, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) & Conquer Cancer Foundation, Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Outreach and Education Partner is National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute. Outreach support is provided by Foundation Medicine.

About WETA Washington, D.C.

WETA Washington, D.C., is a leading producer of new content for public television in the United States. WETA productions and co-productions include PBS NewsHour; Washington Week; documentaries by filmmaker Ken Burns, including Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History, Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies, Hemingway and the forthcoming Muhammad Ali; and series and specials by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots, Reconstruction: America After the Civil War and The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. WETA's multi-year campaign Well Beings addresses the critical health needs of Americans. More information on WETA and its programs and services is available at weta.org. On social media, visit facebook.com/wetatvfm on Facebook and follow @WETAtvfm on Twitter.

Source: National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetics Networks (NCC)