The initial work of the Genomics in Society team focuses on the use of genomics in a healthcare setting. Rapid advances in genomics are emerging from the laboratory to directly affect patient care. Translation from the gene sequence through intracellular steps, into health and ill health of individuals offers potential for better-focussed individual treatments and more effective preventive strategies. The implications for health policy and practice are immense.
Integrating deeper knowledge on the ethical, legal, social, educational and policy implications of genomics will benefit its translation into the clinical setting and across society. By investigating these dimensions of genomics translation, the interdisciplinary Genomics in Society project team will develop robust methodological tools, recommendations and educational strategies for informed decision-making.
The Genomics in Society project will develop a framework informed by analysis of case studies across four key areas of activity:
- Bio banking
- Predictive/ pre-symptomatic testing
- Therapeutics
- Gene-editing and therapy
The framework will provide an ethics-informed evidence-base for applying genomics to clinical practice and provide practical strategies to inform Australia’s health system planners and policy makers.
- Determine a strong ethically informed evidence base for translating genomics science to clinical practice;
- Provide practical strategies to enable informed decision making among Australia’s health care system planners and policy makers;
- Develop robust methodological tools, analysis and recommendations that identify the ethical, legal, social, educational and policy impacts of implementing genomic data into the Australian health care system enabling the development of a robust conceptual framework;
- Enable research around important ethical, legal, social, education and policy questions which include the major institutional stakeholders including industry, government, private enterprise science organisations ensuring ethical and legal and regulatory advice, recommendations and action; and
- Establish a focal point for UQ’s expertise in all aspects of ‘Genomics in Society’ to establish a track record of collaborative, interdisciplinary research between UQ's social scientists, as well as with UQ genomics scientists
Professor Karen Hussey
Director, Centre for Policy Futures, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor John Devereux
Professor of Law, TC Beirne School of Law, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Dr Marie Mangelsdorf
Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Associate Professor Andrew Crowden
Associate Professor in School of Medicine, affiliated with the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry
Dr Kim Nichols
Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Associate Professor Damian Hine
Associate Professor in Strategy, Innovation and Commercialisation, School of Business, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Dr Julian Lamont
Lecturer in Philosophy, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry
Dr Lisette Pregelj
Lecturer in Commercialisation in Practice, School of Business, Faculty, Economics and Law
Associate Professor David Morrison
Associate Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Professor Robyn Gillies
Professor, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Associate Professor Gloria Dall'Alba
School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor Karen Nankervis
Professor, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor Luke Connelly
Acting Director, Centre for the Business and Economics of Health, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Professor Xue Li
Professor, School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Dr Rebecca Olsen
Senior Lecturer, Sociology; School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences