Queensland Health Genomics Seminar SeriesSession 9

Welcome to the Genomics Seminar Series. The purpose of this series is to:

• Promote the translation of genomics research into clinical practice.
• Share initiatives from research fellows and clinical staff, highlighting their impact on the healthcare system.
• Celebrate genomics capacity-building projects across Queensland.
• Foster collaboration and learning within the clinical genomics and research community.
• Create opportunities for researchers and clinicians to connect, exchange knowledge, and strengthen partnerships.

Talk title

Following the Genome Home: Consent, Science and Benefit in Indigenous Genomics

Every genome tells a story, but for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that story is also about who holds it, who benefits from it, and how it finds its way back to community. This seminar follows a single Indigenous genome on its journey: from the moment of consent, through sequencing and analysis, to the point where genomic insight returns as benefit to Country and mob.

Along the way, the seminar will examine why representation in reference data is a clinical safety issue, how data sovereignty principles (OCAP®, CARE and Maiam nayri Wingara) shape each step, and what genuine community-led genomics can look like in practice. The talk draws on work at the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics and Black Ochre Data Labs, with worked examples from pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.

Speaker

This session features Adam Heterick, a Wiradjuri man and Australia’s first Indigenous bioinformatician, working across Black Ochre Data Labs at The Kids Research Institute Australia and the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics at the Australian National University.

Registration

Register to join the Genomics Seminar Series.