When Tuesday 18 June 2025, 1pm – 2pm (AEST)
Where Online.
Registration Registration is free and available here.
Join the Genomics Education Network Australasia (GENA) June meet-up. Hear about genomics education projects underway in Australasia, find out about new tools and resources supporting genomics education and meet others working in the field.
GENA have education and genomics professionals discussing completed, current and developing projects in genomics education.
Agenda
1pm – 1:05pm – Welcome
1:05pm – 1:30pm – Presentation 1: Using polygenic risk scores to optimise population screening: Experiences from the Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot
Dr Kirstine Bell from The University of Sydney will present “Using polygenic risk scores to optimise population screening: Experiences from the Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot”.
The Australian Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot is a national research program that seeks to determine the ideal approach for a potential, future routine national screening program for type 1 diabetes (T1D) for all Australian children. Building on a wealth of international research on T1D genetics, the pilot is the first prospective clinical translation of a genetic risk-stratified screening approach for T1D, using a polygenic risk score to improve the efficiency of population screening. This presentation will share initial insights on the feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of using a polygenic risk score in this screening context.
The presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session.
1:30pm – 1:55pm – Presentation 2: Increasing capacity for precision medicine in primary care: some PRECISE reflections
Dr Alan Ma from Sydney Children’s Health Network, and Dr Kate Dunlop from The Daffodil Centre, will present “Increasing capacity for precision medicine in primary care: some PRECISE reflections”.
This presentation will provide an update on the work of PRECISE (Practitioner Readiness, Education and Capabilities, with Implementation Science Evaluation) Genomics Research Project and reflections on the co-design workshops with general practitioners (GPs) and consumer perspectives.
The presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session.
1:55pm – 2pm – Thank you and closing remarks
About the speakers
Dr Kirstine Bell, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Research Fellow, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney
Dr Kirstine Bell is a dietitian, diabetes educator and NHMRC Emerging LeadershipResearch Fellow based at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney. She is the Principal Research Fellow leading the Australian Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot. She completed her PhD in type 1 diabetes at the University of Sydney and post-doc at Harvard Medical School and is internationally recognised for her research in type 1 diabetes.
Dr Alan Ma, Clinical Geneticist Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and Senior Lecturer, Specialty of Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital Clinical School, Westmead, The University of Sydney
Dr Ma is a clinician researcher and educator, with more than ten years of experience as a geneticist at Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN). He is lead CI for PRECISE, a MRFF project for genomic implementation in primary care, and co-chairs the Sydney Health Partners clinical academic group in genomics and precision medicine, with a focus on implementation science and studying the mainstreaming of genomichealthcare. He is program director for the masters of genomics and precision medicine, University of Sydney.
Dr Kate (Anderson) Dunlop, Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre
Dr Kate (Anderson) Dunlop is a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in implementation science and qualitative research methods, currently focusing on the implementation of targeted cancer screening. Kate was previously the Director of the NSW Health Centre for Genetics Education and prior to that at the Cancer Council NSW developing education programs.