UCL Genetics Institute (UGI) UGI has been established to create, at UCL, a world-leading centre to develop and apply bio- statistical and bio-informatics approaches to genetic research. Its remit is to focus on clinical and human population genetics. This will form a platform from which we can address major challenges to the use of genetics in healthcare. Genetic technologies are in routine use at UCL in fundamental and applied research in plant, animal and human studies. By invigorating statistical genetics and bioinformatics we hope to enable the translation of genetic science into understanding human health and the pathological mechanisms of human disease, and translating this knowledge into clinically relevant interventions and treatments. The challenges that genetics must meet if it is to fulfil its potential in contributing to the improvement of healthcare include: a) capturing all genomic information and interpreting it, including developing and applying sufficiently powerful methods in bio-informatics and bio-statistics; b) improving the phenotypic definition of health and diseases; c) elucidating the metabolic processes involved in the normal and diseased states, d) the timely translation of basic research into clinical practice © StoreGene, 2011