Sydney-based biotech start-up, 23Strands to play an integral and leading role in researching the benefit of genomic medicine to Indigenous Australians.

Leading this 5 year collaboration is Professor Alex Brown from the Australian National University who focussed on establishing the National Indigenous Genomics Network of research nodes to engage with Indigenous Australians in genetic research and health care in a culturally safe way.

The aim is for Indigenous Australians to benefit equitably from the potential for improved health outcomes from genomics research and to encourage Indigenous leadership in the field of human genomics. The Access Gap in Genomics Health for Indigenous Australians is often overlooked despite being the world’s longest continuously surviving culture, having inhabited the Australian continent for over 60,000 years. Despite this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain underrepresented in the governance of genomics sciences, and remain excluded from databases of human genetic variation.

23Strands has received Medical Research Future Funding which will help them apply their work of genomic sequencing with cutting-edge AI technology to deliver personalised healthcare pathways for many Indigenous Australians who are excluded. The move will help identify trends and gain more accurate insights into complex diseases to facilitate improvements in patient care, especially in the Indigenous community. 

"This network will establish the foundations on which Indigenous Australians can equitably benefit from the health-promoting, preventative, diagnostic and curative potential of genomics," Professor Brown said.