When Friday 28 March 2025, 2pm – 3pm (AEST)
Where Online.
Registration Registration is free and available here.
Join the Genomics Education Network Australasia (GENA) March 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.
GENA welcome member updates in the last few minutes and can offer breakout rooms on zoom if people would like to continue the conversation.
Agenda
2pm – 2:05pm – Welcome
2:05pm – 2:30pm – Presentation 1
Dr Johanna Barclay and Dr Yassine Souilmi will present “Genomics Our Way: An Introduction to Genomics Research with Indigenous Australians”.
This will be followed by a short Q&A with the presenters.
2:30pm – 2:55pm – Presentation 2
Dr Rehan Villani will present “The AusMAVE Education project; improving functional data integration into clinical diagnoses through community consultation”.
This will be followed by a short Q&A with the presenter.
2:55pm – 3pm – Close
About the speakers
Dr Johanna Barclay, General Manager, Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN)
Johanna is a non-Indigenous woman, born on Wadjuk Nyoongar country in Perth, and currently living on Kaurna country in Adelaide. Johanna has a strong academic background in biomedical research, as well as business management skills, with a PhD and an MBA from the University of Queensland. For the past 8 years she has worked at the interface of academia, health and industry and roles focused on strategy, partnerships, networks and technology. She has experience with tertiary health organisations, clinical and discovery research, and commercial and contract research. Johanna has expertise in the successful development of large and complex consortia, securing substantial financial support from government, industry and philanthropy, and the management of partnerships involving diverse stakeholders. Johanna brings a unique combination of expertise intersecting health, research, business and industry, and extensive experience working with complex stakeholder groups to achieve success.
Dr Yassine Souilmi, Group Leader, Genomics & Bioinformatics, Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD)| The University of Adelaide, and Research Fellow, Evolutionary Medicine, Black Ochre Data Labs (BODL) | The Kids Research Institute Australia and the Australian National University
Yassine is of Amazigh heritage from Morocco, North Africa. He works and lives in Tarntanyangga on the banks of Karrawirra Parri in Kaurna country (Adelaide, SA). Dr Souilmi is an Evolutionary Medicine research fellow at the Black Ochre Data Labs, the Kids Research Institute and the Australian National University, and the Genomics and Bioinformatics group leader at the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, the University of Adelaide. Dr Souilmi’s research is at the nexus of medical and evolutionary genomics. He uses modern and ancient DNA to understand past events shaping genetic fitness and health. In this course, Dr Souilmi introduces the field of ancient DNA, its challenges and numerous applications.
Dr Rehan Villani, Research Officer, Molecular Cancer Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer
Rehan is a mid-career translational genomics researcher with a combination of experimental genetics and applied genomic diagnostics experience. Her work aims to evidence improved methods for functional and computational prediction of variant impact in inherited disease. At QIMR Berghofer, she has built the AusMAVE (Multiplexed Assays of Variant Effect) Education project, which has delivered resources for clinical capacity building in diagnostic curators in Australasia. Additionally, Rehan has substantial practical experience in clinical capacity building projects in QLD which engaged more than 400 learners and left a legacy of increased capacity and resources for genomics application in the QLD health service.
If you are interested in joining GENA, please click here.