RISE: Genetic Alliance Unveils a New Name and Identity for Its Global Rare Disease Genomics Network

RISE — Rare Insights, Solutions, Empowerment — reflects a network that has grown to nine laboratories and 26 clinical sites in 17 countries.

DAMASCUS, MD, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Genetic Alliance today announced that its global program providing no-cost clinical genomic testing to children with suspected rare genetic conditions, formerly iHope, is now RISE: Rare Insights, Solutions, Empowerment. The new name and visual identity reflect how far the network has grown and where it intends to go.

What began more than a decade ago as a handful of clinics served by a single laboratory is now a network of nine laboratories, 26 clinical sites, and two software partners in 19 countries. More than 4,000 individuals worldwide have received genomic sequencing through the program at no cost to their families. Alongside diagnostic testing, the network has expanded to support a wide range of patient-centered activities, including translational research and care pathways, as well as new sequencing technology and software partners.

“iHope came to Genetic Alliance in 2021, after being nurtured for more than a decade at Illumina. Its mission was to bring clinical genome sequencing to children who would otherwise never have access to it. The laboratories, clinicians, and partners in this network have turned that goal into a global community. RISE is the name for what we have built together, and for the families who rise with us,” said Sharon Terry, President and CEO of Genetic Alliance.

The network’s impact has been documented in more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific papers, as well as numerous conference proceedings and media outlets. The network continues to diagnose more than 40% of those it tests, of which up to 70% receive a change in medical management, on par with best-in-class genomic testing anywhere in the world.

“The sun never sets on this network. At any hour, somewhere in the world, a RISE laboratory is sequencing a genome, and a RISE clinician is sitting with a family. The new name speaks to the insights those genomes yield, the solutions they make possible and the empowerment that comes when families and clinicians finally have answers,” said Ryan J. Taft, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Genetic Alliance.

The program’s parallel research study, previously known as HOPE, is now ASCEND — Advancing Science and Care with Exploratory and Needs-driven Discovery. ASCEND is organized around three pillars: longitudinal outcomes - following participants over time to measure how genomic results change clinical care; multiomic resolution - applying reanalysis and multiomic approaches to cases that remain unsolved after standard genetic testing; and AI-native translational research tools – which enable extraction of insights from structured and unstructured data, and the identification of novel therapeutic agents.

The RISE identity centers on a rising sun - light and optimism for a network on which the sun never sets - with a figure at its heart representing the individuals the network serves and the genomics at the core of its support. Yellow creates continuity with the message of hope and a forward-looking outlook; blue for security and perseverance. The program’s tagline is “Together, we RISE.”

RISE is made possible by a community of partners across the genomics ecosystem, including founding partner Illumina Inc, PacBio, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, enGenome, Lucid Genomics, and the Alexion Charitable Foundation, together with partner laboratories and clinical sites around the world. The network continues to welcome new laboratory, clinical, technology, and philanthropic partners.

For families and partner institutions, testing, referrals, and care continue exactly as before. Learn more at rise.geneticalliance.org. Updated logos and brand materials are available on request.

Sharon Terry
Genetic Alliance
+1 202-966-5557
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