The Festival of Genomics & Biodata in London

It started with a vision: ‘The Woodstock for Genomics’

The Festival of Genomics & Biodata began with a bold idea, to create a dynamic and inclusive gathering of knowledge.
We wanted to energise the field, connect communities, and showcase the life-changing potential of genomics for patients everywhere.

That spirit still drives us today.

The UK's Festival is now the UK's largest life sciences event. It has expanded well beyond it's initial scope - into areas as diverse as drug discovery and development, precision medicine, AI & biodata, single cell and spatial analysis, liquid biopsy, proteomics, multi-omics and much more.

Rich Lumb FOG Founder A message from Richard Lumb, CEO of Front Line Genomics and Founder of The Festival

When I had the idea of organising a genomics event back in 2013, I never would have dreamt that it would turn into the size of the event it is today. I was motivated by the loss of my dad to a rare form of cancer – mesothelioma - back in 2009. There was so much excitement about the potential of genomics, but this was not yet making a difference for patients like my dad (and others in my family).

Perhaps naively, and driven by a quiet rage, I wanted to change that.

This led to a simple mission: To deliver the benefits of genomics to patients faster. It also led to me setting up Front Line Genomics, the company that organises the Festival.

So, the initial idea with the Festival was to do three things

1.

Try to create an event that was free for most people to attend so that more people would have access, and – ultimately – this would maximise the benefit for patients.

2.

Break down silos, and bring people together from healthcare, pharma and the research sector (plus other stakeholders), so that we could accelerate translation from ground-breaking research to patient impact.

3.

Get people engaged, excited and educated by genomics, which was still a new thing for many people at the time.

The Festival Today

The Festival today is very different to how it was back in 2015. I am proud of the role it plays, particularly the free access we provide to so many attendees, the focus on translational research that impacts patients, and in showcasing and promoting developments in genomics in the UK.

And yet, what is clearer than ever, is that for the benefits of genomics to be realised, often this involves other aspects of life sciences.

For instance, the handling, analysis and incorporation of other forms of biodata; transcriptomics and proteomics (and multi-omics in general) to understand what is happening in individual patients, downstream of the genome; the development of new diagnostic tools such as liquid biopsy; leveraging of exciting new methodologies such as single cell and spatial analysis; and - of course - the growing adoption and short-term translation of AI into better drug discovery and development and better patient outcomes in general.

And so, the Festival has expanded to cover not just genomics, but other topics that – when used together with genomics under the right circumstances – can lead to better patient outcomes than with genomics alone.

About Front Line Genomics

Front Line Genomics organises the Festival of Genomics & Biodata, and was set up in 2014, following the death of the founder’s father to a rare form of cancer. We are a dedicated team of genomics and science enthusiasts, many of us with our own personal stories of how genomics has influenced our lives.

We work towards our goal of delivering the benefits of genomics to patients faster by creating interesting content and practical resources via our website, and producing webinars, events and reports. We typically support people in healthcare, research, pharma, investment, technology, policy and government, charitable and patient organizations, as well as, from time-to-time, patients themselves.

At Front Line Genomics, our main focus is on creating meaningful change in the lives of patients, not profit. Where possible, everything we produce is free-to-access so that we have more impact.

Our History

When the Festival began, Front Line Genomics originally partnered with a large organisation in the events sector, organizing Festivals in the UK, California and Boston, and launching www.frontlinegenomics.com.

Since then, we’ve supported more than 1 million people via the Festival, conferences, meet-ups, our website, reports and webinars. In 2018 we became an independent, privately owned business – free to prioritise our social mission – and we haven’t looked back.

We have successfully grown the UK Festival of Genomics to become the UK’s largest annual life sciences event.