Genomics and Molecular Surgery

Join us as Nuha Yassin sits down with Sue Clark, Terri McVeigh and Frank McDermott to discuss genomics and molecular surgery. Genomics and molecular surgery have the potential to change our approaches to healthcare and surgical practice. These exciting advancements in genomics and molecular surgery are allowing us to better personalise treatments and improve patient outcomes. This includes the use of next generation sequencing, circulating tumour DNA, polygenic risk scores, pharmacogenomics and personalised drug treatments such as cancer vaccines. Join us for the Future of Surgery Festival this April for a celebration of surgery, where innovation meets inspiration. Host: Nuha Yassin Nuha Yassin is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at University Hospitals Birmingham and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Birmingham. Her clinical and research interests focus on technology, minimally invasive, and robotic surgical techniques for colorectal cancer and IBD. She is the Lead for robotic colorectal surgery at her trust and the first female national proctor for robotic colorectal surgery in the UK. Guest: Sue Clark Professor Sue Clark MD FRCS (Gen Surg) EBSQ (Coloproctology) is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at St Mark’s Hospital, and Professor of Practice (Colorectal Surgery) at Imperial College, London, UK. Additional roles include Chair of the UK-wide Hereditary Gastrointestinal Polyposis Syndromes Rare Disease Collaborative Network, Administrative Officer of the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (InSiGHT) and Chair of the Bowel Research UK Grants Committee. She was previously Director of the St Mark's Hospital Polyposis Registry, RCS(England) Genomics Champion, member of the RCS(England) Commission on the Future of Surgery, Editor in Chief of Colorectal Disease and member of InSiGHT Council. Guest: Terri McVeigh Terri McVeigh is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist in the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London, with clinician–scientist training that includes international research and clinical fellowships. Her work spans genomic medicine, education and national service development. She works with NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme, supporting curriculum development, faculty training and the creation of learning resources for both specialist and mainstream clinicians. As a Professional Lead within the Genomics Training Academy, she helps shape educational strategy, assessment approaches and faculty development, and co‑chairs the Oncology and Malignant Haematology GeNotes working groups.  Guest: Frank McDermott Frank McDermott is Lead for Genomics and Molecular Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and Associate Professor at the University of Exeter. His clinical and academic interests include colorectal cancer, complex decision-making, and the integration of genomics into routine surgical practice. He is Clinical Director of the South West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and Editor of BJS Open and is involved in national and international collaborative research focused on improving personalised cancer care.Produced by: Andrea Pearson References GeNotes: GeNotes: Genomic notes for clinicians | GEP | NHS England GTAC: GTAC: The Genomics Training Academy - Genomics Education Programme UKCGG one-page clinical guidelines: UKCGG leaflets and guidelines - Cancer Genetics Group RCS Genomics e-learning module: https://vle.rcseng.ac.uk/enrol/index.php?id=730 Current and future genomic applications for surgeons: https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsann.2024.0031  The impact of cancer genomics across the surgical pathway: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0263931925000225 Precision surgery: harnessing the power of genomics: https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/10.1308/rcsbull.2026.1