Project Summary:
The PRS 2026 Conference will convene approximately 90-110 leaders in genomic medicine, health-system administration, and precision medicine to address the clinical implementation of polygenic risk scores (PRS). PRS aggregate the effects of thousands of common variants to estimate disease risk and are among the most promising tools for population-level prevention, yet standardized approaches for clinical reporting, workflow integration, and evidence thresholds remain absent. The event aims to improve health outcomes in Wisconsin by accelerating evidence-based genomic risk assessment into routine care across the state's health systems. Learning objectives include evaluating the evidence base for PRS clinical validity and utility across common diseases, paired across cardiovascular disease and oncology; identifying barriers to PRS implementation in health-system workflows, including EHR integration, clinical decision support, genetic-counseling capacity, and result reporting; setting consensus implementation priorities through structured, live in-room polling and a moderated synthesis; and assessing the health-economic and coverage dimensions that determine adoption. The day's content and the polling results will be carried into a peer-reviewed white paper to inform clinical PRS use. The primary audience is Wisconsin-based and national health-workforce professionals engaged in genomic medicine, precision health, and implementation science. Anticipated participants include MCW faculty from the Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine; the Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine, Internal Medicine); the Data Science Institute; the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics; physician-scientists and precision-medicine program directors from Wisconsin health systems (Froedtert/MCW, Marshfield Clinic, UW Health, Advocate/Aurora, Essentia); eMERGE Network investigators and implementation leaders from regional and national academic medical centers (UW-Madison, Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Vanderbilt); MCW residents and fellows in cardiovascular medicine and genetics; and non-sponsor industry representatives.