In the fight against common, complex disorders—such as mental health conditions, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders—genetics has long held the promise of revolutionizing healthcare. Dr. William Reay, this year’s prestigious NARF Postdoctoral Award recipient, has made groundbreaking strides in this arena with his innovative work on the Pharmagenic Enrichment Score (PES) platform.
The PES is a tool designed to transform how genetic data is used in precision medicine. Unlike traditional genetic risk scores, which aggregate data from across the genome without regard for treatment relevance, PES hones in on genetic variations within biological pathways directly related to specific treatments. By focusing on these treatment-relevant pathways, the PES allows clinicians to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from targeted interventions—marking a paradigm shift in personalised healthcare.
A cornerstone of this research, published in the high-impact journal Circulation, focused on hypertension, a global public health challenge.
Read Dr Reay’s research here: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.065394
Dr. Reay and colleagues demonstrated that individuals with elevated genetic risk in sodium and potassium regulation pathways—identified through the PES—experience a disproportionately greater effect on blood pressure from dietary sodium. This work not only highlights the potential of PES in guiding dietary and pharmacological interventions but also validates the broader utility of PES in precision medicine.
The impact of this research extends far beyond the laboratory. It has already secured ~$3 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to support a clinical trial exploring the real-world application of PES for hypertension management. Moreover, the work sparked widespread interest, with coverage in over 20 media outlets, drawing attention to the transformative potential of integrating genetics into routine clinical care.
Dr. Reay’s award-winning research underscores the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. By bridging cutting-edge genetic insights with actionable clinical applications, this work brings us closer to a future where treatment strategies are tailored not just to diseases, but to the unique biological makeup of each patient. The NARF Postdoctoral Award recognises not only this groundbreaking achievement but also its promise to shape the future of precision medicine.