ALIGN was generously
supported by the International Congress of Genetics to hold their
inaugural symposium as a satellite meeting adjacent to the XXIII ICG in Naarm,
Melbourne.
The ALIGN Satellite Meeting was a full day event, featuring international leaders in the
field of Indigenous Genomics encompassing Aotearoa, Canada, the United States and
Hawaii. The ALIGN network was well represented from across the breadth of Australia,
with a total attendance of close to 60 participants. The program delved into
international efforts and key issues in Indigenous Genomics and showcased the intent and
plans of ALIGN and the different jurisdictions. Over the course of the day, and in the
following ICG meeting, participants took the opportunity to increase their understanding
of this sector, both nationally and internationally, and to build new collaborative
partnerships for much needed work in this space.
Following on from the ICG, ALIGN has established a number of key working groups to look
at some of the critical issues identified during the satellite and ICG meeting, such as
ethics, clinical trials access, benefit sharing models, and legal mechanisms to protect
data sovereignty. These working groups are developing solutions, with learnings gained
from our international colleagues, which can be shared with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities for their consideration and further co-design. This work is
progressing, and we expect that outcomes will be shared in 2024.
Further, the ALIGN Satellite Meeting served to consolidate important partnerships with
health service providers, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
(ACCHOs), who are working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These
partnerships have allowed ALIGN to better understand this sector, and what support is
needed to effectively implement genomics into the health system in a culturally
appropriate way. We anticipate the establishment of an International Indigenous Genomics
Federation in the months following the meeting.
Beyond the connections with our international family, the ICG highlighted the critical
and unique opportunities that Indigenous Genomics affords and informs global efforts in
genomic variation, diversity, inclusion, ethics and cultural facets of genomic science
and health care. ICG and the conference faculty and organisers facilitated significant
discussions with stakeholders, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners across the
global genomics community, to commence planning for truly equitable genomics for all
populations across the world.
The ALIGN Satellite Meeting, held in conjunction with the XXIII International Congress
of Genetics, was an excellent opportunity to bring the ALIGN network together with
international leaders in genomics. The learnings, vison, and collaborations that
resulted from this opportunity will be instrumental to achieving ALIGN’s mission; to
work collectively to develop a framework – designed by Indigenous people, for Indigenous
people – to deliver the benefit of genomic medicine to all.
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