95,000 GenV participants and growing, with 340,000 biosamples!
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GenView edition #7 | Autumn 2023
Dear GenV supporter,
We’re so excited to share our progress at Generation Victoria (GenV).
With the 2-year birth window closing in October, recruiting our cohort and collecting biosamples is our priority. Over 95,000 people have joined - babies, parents, guardians and kin - from all over Victoria. Already the largest, most diverse, and most representative birth and parent cohort in Australia, we expect GenV to continue growing over coming years.
In April, the Victorian Minister for Medical Research, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, celebrated this remarkable achievement, calling on more families to sign up to this landmark study. See new GenV mum Saada (with her new baby daughter and older son) explaining why GenV is so important for her and other families.
We are also safely storing over 340,000 biosamples. For the last few months, we have also offered breast milk and stool collection, and now hold nearly 4,000 of each - among the largest collections internationally. The range and depth of our biosamples from our uniquely diverse cohort is generating national and international interest.
Of course GenV is only of value if it drives faster and more powerful research than is currently possible. We are thrilled that this is already happening, even before the birth window ends. Funders such as the NHMRC and MRFF have already awarded collaborators over $27.5m for new research made possible by GenV’s unique design, cohort and biosamples. We will highlight these major projects in coming editions of GenView.
As a national asset, GenV is also contributing to the Commonwealth Government’s Early Years Strategy and the South Australian Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, the latter chaired by The Hon. Julia Gillard AC. GenV’s holistic insights into life experiences across health, education, wellbeing and place will later help drive policy and service delivery to reduce inequity and improve outcomes. For example, Professor Margie Danchin is looking at maternal and infant outcomes following COVID-19 and influenza vaccination in pregnancy.
We look forward to our continued engagement with service providers, policymakers, researchers and the community to hear how GenV could help solve the complex issues affecting Australia’s parents and children.
GenV Leadership Team
Introducing Melena Atkinson, proud Queer Yorta Yorta and Torres Strait Islander woman: supporting First Nations families to join GenV
Melena Atkinson, a proud Queer Yorta Yorta and Torres Strait Islander woman, heads GenV’s collaboration with the Koori Maternity Services throughout Victoria.
Over the past 6 months, Melena has met most of the services to introduce them to GenV and ask if they could introduce GenV to the First Nations parents in their communities.
GenV’s collaboration with the Koori Maternity Services utilises their strong community relationships to encourage First Nations families to participate in research. In time, we hope GenV will be a resource that First Nations people can use to benefit their communities.
GenV's app for parents boosted with other languages and security options
Every day we send hundreds of GenV parents short surveys on the custom-built GenV and Me app. Parents use it to tell GenV about themselves and their child over time, complementing other information, such as administration and service data.
Each survey takes about 5 minutes, and asks about how parents and their babies are going. Parents also use the app to share baby videos at age 3 months and baby photos at age 1 year with GenV. Researchers will see how well these could predict things like syndromes and movement problems much earlier than we can now.
We're continuing to improve the GenV and Me app. Soon it will include languages other than English, and the option of additional security such as a PIN, face or fingerprint recognition. We are also fixing bugs and making it even easier to use over time.
The power of longitudinal cohorts: Mental Health
GenV is one of many longitudinal studies in the MCRI LifeCourse Initiative. When combined, Australian longitudinal cohorts can enhance understanding about many health, wellbeing, development and place-based issues and experiences.
For example, this research brief draws on data from many MCRI cohorts to examine the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It points to more precise policy and service options to prevent and intervene early for those experiencing mental health difficulties. In time, GenV’s information will be combined with other cohorts in this way.
Each cohort is also unique. GenV is special in its size, breadth, whole-of-state remit, inclusion and design to actively test new approaches.
New GenV posters and video testimonials
We continue to build community awareness of GenV with our updated social awareness campaign. As the 2-year GenV birth window nears its close in October 2023, we are in our final push to promote GenV newborn recruitment to new and expecting parents, service providers and other health professionals.
See our three video testimonials from real GenV parents sharing their reasons for joining. Our 5 Fast GenV Facts poster is up in maternity hospitals and our Missed GenV in Hospital? poster and video (starring real GenV bubs!) are in the community. These remind families they can join GenV at any time and any age. We hope many GenView readers will support families with children born October 2021-2023 in this choice.
Are you considering a new study with children, parents, families or adults? Have you thought about collaborating with GenV?
GenV is Australia’s largest longitudinal cohort of children and parents. Find out more here.
GenV is led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital and The University of Melbourne, and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, the Victorian Government, The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.
