Geetanjali Rangnekar
Geetanjali Rangnekar is a science communicator and editor, based in Adelaide, Australia.
Parents of all babies born in the Australian state of Victoria between 2020 and 2022 will be invited to participate in a world-first experimental ecosystem called Generation V, or Gen V for short. The individuals enrolled in this mammoth data repository will contribute health information that will be used to combat the many physical ailments and mental health problems affecting children and adults.
The $25 million Gen V project is a joint venture between researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the state’s Labour government. The innovative research concept will be carried out over five years. All the data collected will work towards tracking, predicting and eventually preventing common conditions in adults, such as obesity and diabetes, as well as autism and asthma in children. The information will also be extrapolated to the education system, benefiting the ways children are taught and working to level education opportunities so that no child gets left behind.
Albeit a herculean and ambitious undertaking, it will undoubtedly have far reaching implications for the future health and wellbeing of all Victorians and, perhaps, all Australians. If you would like to give your future progeny the opportunity to be part of an historic and unique initiative, learn more here.
