The second GenoMEL Podcast is now available!
This Podcast carries an exclusive interview with the Scientific Coordinator of GenoMEL, Prof. Julia Newton Bishop. Professor Newton Bishop not only talks about the origins of GenoMEL but also touches on her clinical work. You can listen to our Podcast here or download it via iTunes.

Year 2 of GenoMEL
On the first of December GenoMEL entered its second year as a ‘Network of Excellence’.

On-line questionnaires
We are currently creating a number of on-line research questionnaires looking at such issues as behaviour in the sun and genetic testing. These questionnaires are due to go ‘live’ in the New Year. Watch this space for further details!

The second GenoMEL Podcast is now available!
This Podcast carries an exclusive interview with the Scientific Coordinator of GenoMEL, Prof. Julia Newton Bishop. Professor Newton Bishop not only talks about the origins of GenoMEL but also touches on her clinical work. You can listen to our Podcast here or download it via iTunes.

GenoMEL publication
A GenoMEL paper entitled “Assessment of high-risk melanoma susceptibility genes and their associations with pancreatic cancer, neural system tumors, and uveal melanoma: A Melanoma Genetics Consortium (GenoMEL) study” has been published in the journal Cancer Research. It can be accessed at: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/current.shtml

The GenoMEL Joint Advisory Group
The GenoMEL Joint Advisory Group (the ‘JAG’) is currently considering the ethical issues surrounding the feedback of genetic research results. A summary of this consultation will hopefully be available in the New Year.

The next GenoMEL podcast
We are currently preparing for the next GenoMEL Podcast. Any suggestions for people you would like to hear interviewed, or words you would like to be defined, would be gratefully received. In the meantime you can listen to our inaugural Podcast here or download it via iTunes.

GenoMEL Exchange Programme
The successful ‘exchangees’ have now been decided upon. Our congratulations go to Federico Simonetta (clinical research exchange), Zighereda Ogbah (molecular research exchange) and Liz Gillanders (epidemiological research exchange).

Different languages
The main pages of this web site can now be viewed in Dutch, Swedish, Russian and Latvian. Please click on the 'view this site in another language' option to try it out.

Patient Information
We have rewritten our patient information to make it more 'reader-friendly', please check it out here.

GenoMEL publication
The GenoMEL paper "Features associated with germline CDKN2A mutations: A GenoMEL study of melanoma-prone families from three continents" is now available from the web site of the Journal of Medical Genetics at: http://jmg.bmjjournals.com/onlinefirst.dtl

The GenoMEL podcast is coming soon!
We are always looking for new ways to publicise GenoMEL and have decided to trial our own podcast. If all goes to plan the first podcast will be available for download by the end of September. Current ideas for content include a news section, a 'jargon corner' and a short ten-minute interview with a GenoMEL researcher. Any suggestions for further content would be gratefully received.

Different languages
The main pages of this web site can now be viewed in Dutch, Swedish, Russian and Latvian. Please click on the 'view this site in another language' option to try it out.

Patient Information
We have rewritten our patient information to make it more 'reader-friendly', please check it out here.

GenoMEL publication
The GenoMEL paper "Features associated with germline CDKN2A mutations: A GenoMEL study of melanoma-prone families from three continents" is now available from the web site of the Journal of Medical Genetics at: http://jmg.bmjjournals.com/onlinefirst.dtl

The Researcher Exchange Programme
The deadline for applications to this year’s exchange programme has now passed. The successful ‘exchangees’ will be announced soon.

GenoMEL annual meetings
The proposed venues for the next four years are – Lund (Sweden) 2007, Paris (France) 2008, Ljubljana (Slovenia) 2009 and Leeds (UK) 2010.

Patient Information
The patient information section of the web site is currently under review. Look out for further updates!

Web site visitors
We are currently receiving over one thousand visitors a month to this web site.

GenoMEL publication
A GenoMEL paper entitled “Features associated with germline CDKN2A mutations: A GenoMEL study of melanoma-prone families from three continents” has been accepted by the Journal of Medical Genetics. It will be available on the web soon at: http://jmg.bmjjournals.com/onlinefirst.dtl

Questionnaire feedback
Thank you to everyone who viewed the ‘Dealing with a diagnosis of Malignant Melanoma’ presentation on this web site and filled in the feedback questionnaire. We have had over 100 people give responses and their feedback will inform future presentations. If you have not viewed the presentation and/or completed the questionnaire, they are still available (please follow this link).

New language options on the web site
The ‘core’ parts of the web site are gradually being translated into a number of other languages by members of GenoMEL. Please click on the language option on the left hand menu to see what languages are currently available.

Summer meeting in Genoa 1
The annual GenoMEL meeting was held earlier this month in Genoa. Epidemiologists, Oncologists, Laboratory Scientists, Research Nurses, Clinicians and other individuals interested in melanoma research, gathered together for four days of presentations and intense discussions.

Summer meeting in Genoa 2
Our behalf of everyone who attended we would like to thank our Italian hosts for all their hard work and for making the meeting such a success.

Next year’s meeting
The Lund group in Sweden have graciously offered to host next year’s Summer meeting.

The Researcher Exchange Programme
The deadline for applications to the GenoMEL exchange programme was the 15th June. There will be more exchange opportunities next year so please visit the web site regularly for more information.

Patient Information Review
The GenoMEL Joint Advisory Group has started a review of the information provided on this web site for patients. Hopefully over the next six months updates will be made in line with their recommendations.

Other Websites
A member of GenoMEL has brought our attention to the fact that another web site exists using the name GenoMEL. This site is trying to sell advertising space to groups involved in genetic research, melanoma treatment, etc. We would like to stress that our Consortium only has a single web site – this one – and does not endorse any other sites. To see sites with which GenoMEL has legitimate links please go to ‘Useful Links’.

Summer Meeting in Genoa
This year’s annual meeting will also include an Educational Day on Melanoma Genetics for local clinicians and researchers.

Download a flyer here.

Members’ Section
Over 45 people have registered for the Members’ Section of the web site. Any members of GenoMEL who have not registered should do so soon – the Members’ Section contains information on many of GenoMEL’s working Groups and internal structures.

Website Visits
We are now averaging over a thousand visitors to the web site a month! Please come back regularly to check on our updates and additions.

Project Presentation
If you look below you will see a link to download our Project Presentation. This is a brief summary of our work and plans in pdf format, please have a look!

Download our Project Presentation here.

New Groups 1
The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) has now been established. The SAB is an international group composed of eminent scientific experts from outside of our existing GenoMEL centres. By reviewing our research plans and suggesting new directions, the SAB will strengthen our work and ensure its relevance to the latest scientific developments.

New Groups 2
The Joint Advisory Group (JAG) has also now been established. The role of the JAG is similar to that of the SAB, but instead of a scientific remit it will draw on lay, patient and ethical perspectives to enhance GenoMEL’s activities.

Website
The Members’ Section of the web site is now open for registration! Anyone who is a member of a GenoMEL Group is eligible to register. If you are such a person please click on the “Members’ Section” for further details – it can be found on the menu running down the left hand side of this site. The first ten people to register will receive a free GenoMEL mug!

Summer Meeting in Genoa
The annual GenoMEL meeting is rapidly approaching (June 6th-9th June). A flyer for the event can be downloaded from the Members’ Section.

This year’s annual meeting will also include an Educational Day on Melanoma Genetics for local clinicians and researchers.
Download the provisional programme here

Search Facility
This Web site now has a fully functional search facility – please give it a try!

Different Languages
To encourage as many people as possible to visit and use this web site we are arranging for our members to translate the site into several different languages. Hopefully these new pages will become available over the next six months. Tot ziens, adieu, addio, adiós, farewell!

Website visits
During the month of January the website received over 1,000 visits.

Steering Committee
The first formal meeting of the Steering Committee took place this month via web conferencing software. This meant that the Committee members were able to see one another via web cams and to share documents electronically. Given that the Steering Group members are scattered across the globe in Europe, North America and Australia, this is a very useful way of meeting. It is hoped that this facility will be made available to other members of GenoMEL soon.

Website
Development of the website continues apace and the members' only area is currently being tested. It will hopefully be ready for people to register at the end of March. Further details will follow.

The search for new melanoma genes
A meeting was held last month in Leeds, where the two biotech companies Affymetrix and Illumina gave presentations on their respective products. A trial will now be run to see which product is most suitable for our needs.

New Groups
Invitations have gone out for the Scientific Advisory Board and the Joint Advisory Group. These groups will help guide GenoMEL and ensure we stay in touch with both scientific and lay perspectives.

GenoMEL, genomel, Genomel or GenoMel?
Over time various versions of the word 'GenoMEL' have come into use. It has now been decided that GenoMEL is the correct, formal way to type our name in upper and lower case letters. (Our e-mail address and web address are the only exceptions being entirely in lower case).

Revision and expansion of the website
As you can see the website has recently changed in appearance. The text size has been increased and the layout has been updated to make the site easier to use. Thank you to all the people who took the time to give us their suggestions for the site. If you have any further ideas or thoughts concerning this site please let us know. New sections will be appearing so please bear with us if there is any disruption.

Genoa Meeting
In mid December there was a successful study meeting in the Italian city of Genoa. This meeting gathered together nurses and clinicians from across the world to ensure a common approach to data and sample collection from melanoma patients. Follow up information from the meeting with be appearing in the new members only section soon.

The search for new melanoma genes
Up to ten of the groups within GenoMEL have agreed to send suitable samples to our Participant in the Dutch city of Leiden to look for new melanoma genes. It is hoped to gather samples from over 700 individuals from across the world for this project.

Administrative Support
As part of the NoE a part time Project Manager has been recruited in Leeds. This individual will coordinate the finances of GenoMEL and prepare financial reports for the European Commission.

Commentary in the journal Nature Genetics
A commentary has been published in the January issue of the prestigious journal Nature Genetics, which was co-authored by the Scientific Coordinator and Vice Coordinator of GenoMEL. Entitled, 'A road map for efficient and reliable human genome epidemiology', it describes how researchers are collaborating to determine the best ways of finding associations between genetic variation and disease.
To read the commentary go to http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v38/n1/full/ng0106-3.html

The NoE
Our European Commission funded, Network of Excellence (NoE) programme started on December 1st. This is an exciting and highly ambitious project, which will run for the next five years. Details of some of its scientific aims can be found under ‘Programme’ above. The main thrust of this NoE project is to strengthen research excellence, by further reducing the fragmentation of European melanoma genetics research and encouraging scientific collaboration. Greater details of the NoE will be given in later News Updates.

Administrative Support
As part of the NoE a Project Management Team is being established to support the Project. There will be several new Manager posts based in Leeds (UK) and Leiden (the Netherlands). A new page will soon to be added to this website giving details of the people who have been appointed and the best ways to contact them.

Expansion of the website
This website is due to undergo a major expansion over the next few months. Many sections will be enlarged and a new members only area will be created. Please bear with us if this causes any temporary disruption to the site.

Genoa Meeting
As part of the beginning of the NoE there is a study meeting later this month in Genoa. This meeting will gather together research nurses from across Europe, as well as from centres as far a field as Australia. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure a common approach to data and sample collection from melanoma patients.

HuGENet
GenoMEL is also a member of HuGENet (Human Genome Epidemiology Network), a global collaboration of individuals and organizations committed to the assessment of the impact of human genetic variation on population health and how genetic information can be used to improve health and prevent disease.

This association has already resulted in a paper entitled:
'A Network of Investigator Networks in Human Genome Epidemiology’ in The American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 162, No. 4, 2005
Click here to view it

Further information on HuGENet can be obtained at: www.cdc.gov/genomics/hugenet/

Professor Newton Bishop has created a DVD about melanoma. Some of the content can be viewed from this website. Click here to view it.