Learn about GenV: your opportunity to create a healthier future GenV is a research project for expecting parents and newborn babies, happening from 2020 to 2022 in Victoria. If you join, you will contribute to healthier children, parents, and families in the future.
Improving care and development through world-class research GenV will work in partnership with Victoria’s health organisations to collect data that will enhance researchers' capacity to understand patient outcomes.
Comprehensive research for precision policy and service delivery GenV aims to transform how we conduct research into health and wellbeing, establishing the foundations for new approaches to data-led policy and strategy development, and the strengthening of service delivery.
Our achievements, partners and key people Learn more about GenV’s collaborative partnerships with leading universities, institutes, and service providers, and meet the people who help to bring our exciting vision to life.
Home\About GenV Home About GenV About GenV GenV is a research initiative designed to advance health and wellbeing in smarter and faster ways. GenV is designed to answer multiple questions about preterm birth, mental health and illness, obesity, learning, allergies and more. GenV grew from a ‘Big Idea’: that a large whole-of-state research project could speed up answers to the major issues facing children and adults today and in the future. GenV is open to all babies born in Victoria, Australia, and their parents over two years from mid-2021. GenV is led from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute , supported by the Royal Children’s Hospital, and University of Melbourne, and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), the Victorian Government , and the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, It collaborates with universities, institutes, hospitals and services across Victoria, and seeks input from parents, communities and organisations at every step. GenV is made possible by world-leading people and organisations Our team Careers at GenV Supporters and partners Research student placements Here's a snapshot of what we've already achieved 2021 Victorian budget invests in the health of Generation Victoria MCRI welcomed the additional investment from the Victorian Government of $14 million AUD to support the GenV program. GenV starts statewide scale-up and begins launching at more hospitals Following on from the successful launch at Joan Kirner’s Women’s and Children’s in December 2020, GenV began launching at more hospitals across Victoria starting in May. The program welcomed its 1,000th GenV baby in early June. 2020 GenV officially commenced at first hospital site GenV commences at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Sunshine Hospital in December. The program welcomed its first babies and parents to the GenV family. It will allow our world-leading researchers to break new ground and make discoveries that will improve the quality of life for Victorians in every corner of the state. Jaala Pulford Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy biobank commences operations at melbourne children’s campus GenV’s fully automated biobank – the biggest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the world’s biggest pregnancy and childhood biobanks – commenced operating in September at the Melbourne Children’s Campus. The biobank will store many millions of samples and will transform the way samples are stored and accessed for future analysis. 2019 Building a GenV that works for families In 2019 GenV conducts focus groups, an on-line parent panel, and The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Child Health ‘pilot’ Poll, working with over 500 new and expecting families over the year. The findings help improve our processes and make it easier for families to join and be a part of GenV. Additional funding secured for the next phase of GenV In the May 2019 Victorian Government State Budget, $14m was confirmed for the GenV Cohort. 2018 a prototype GenV data repository In September 2018 GenV successfully built a prototype Data Repository that included accurately and safely linking existing research datasets to existing administrative data. We're so pleased to provide this support to Victoria's best and brightest medical minds, as they make the discoveries that will change the lives of young people in our state and all over the world. Daniel Andrews Victorian Premier 2017 Key funding partnership announced with the Paul Ramsay Foundation In May 2017 the Paul Ramsay Foundation announced foundation funding of $24.5 million to make GenV a reality. Find out about GenV’s partners. We're partnering with GenV to give future researchers a platform and the infrastructure they need to base their research. This means studies will be completed faster and with less cost, translating to better preventions and treatments for all Australians. Simon Freeman Former PRF CEO Victorian Government supports the initial rollout of GenV In June 2017, the Victorian Government provided $2m in seed funding to develop the GenV Cohort. Our big hope is that ultimately we are able to drive better solutions for prevention, prediction and treatment for the problems kids have now, and the diseases they will have as adults. Over 80 to 100 years, this will be an incredibly important resource for understanding how people age best. Professor Melissa Wake GenV Scientific Director GenV officially launched In December 2017, Victorian Minister for Health Jill Hennessy launched GenV with PRF CEO Simon Freeman and MCRI CEO Kathryn North. Victoria is a prime location for the project because of its world-renowned medical research facilities and universities. Our focus is on studies like GenV that emphasise prevention as well as treatment to ensure better outcomes for Victorians. Jill Hennessy MP Former Victorian Minister for Health 2016 Incubator workshops conducted GenV held incubator workshops with clinicians and researchers identified focus areas and important scientific questions for GenV to address. Over 80 Clinicians and researchers shaped GenV through its working groups. 2015 Engagement with maternity services Initial engagement with clinical staff and researchers at Monash Health, the Royal Women’s Hospital, Sunshine Hospital and Mercy Health. People from these organisations have helped shape GenV and its processes. GenV recruitment pilot This pilot showed the feasibility of recruitment and consent processes adjacent to the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Results indicate that the GenV recruitment process was feasible, successful and was very little burden on parents and clinical services. 2014 Family focus groups conducted This ethics engagement study asked expectant and new parent’s views on GenV and participating in a longer study. Participants felt the ongoing linkage of data and biosamples collected from themselves and their children was important and they would be willing for their children to participate. Biospecimen pilots completed Consent was collected to access existing universal biological pregnancy samples (1st and second trimester screening samples) for use in research. Over 90% of parents consented showing a high level of acceptability. Melbourne Children’s Trials Centre launched The centre is the largest paediatric trials centre in Australia. It ensures quality, efficiency and innovation in our trials and is supporting the development of new interventions in GenV to prevent, diagnose and treat childhood diseases. 2013 International benchmarking and expert review A team of researchers studied similar research projects from around the world to ensure we adopt best practice from the very beginning. A group of international experts from the Denmark, France, Norway, United Kingdom and Australia from similar initiatives reviewed GenV’s approach (then known as the ‘Big Idea’). The committee endorsed GenV as scientifically important, feasible, and unique and would greatly add to our understanding of child health and development’ Data linkage studies MCRI studies successfully completed consented data linkage to a range of government and clinical datasets. These demonstrate the feasibility of GenV’s consented data linkage approach and the high level of consent from families for this to occur. Melbourne Children’s Campus LifeCourse program developed LifeCourse includes over 40 separate clinical and population-based longitudinal studies including over 50,000 participants. The vision of LifeCourse is to maximise the value of these studies to inform better outcomes for children and adolescents across the continuum of care. The learnings from LifeCourse studies are driving the approach and research in GenV. Melbourne Children’s Bioresource Centre launched This state-of-the-art centralized biosample processing and storage facility uses international best practice to safely and securely store biosamples. With GenV it will become Australia’s largest automated biobank.