When Tuesday 18 June 2024, 11am – 12.30pm (AEST)
Where Online. Link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
Registration Registration is free and available here.
The next ELSI Genomics Network seminar will explore ethical, legal and social issues of polygenic scores in healthcare with presentations from Professor Anne Cust and Mary-Anne Young.
Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) look at thousands of genetic variants across a person’s genome to estimate their risk of developing a specific disease. They’re not widely used in healthcare at the moment, but, like many emerging genomic technologies, their application in population health and clinical care may be just around the corner. But are we ready?
Evidence suggests that PRSs may inform early screening or prevention strategies, as well as guide treatment decisions for certain diseases. But big questions remain, namely, what might safe, equitable and effective implementation into clinical and public health practice look like?
This event from the quarterly Australian ELSI Genomics Network seminar series will explore the potential uses of PRSs as well as the ethical, legal and social issues that accompany their integration into health settings. The informative discussion will be guided by Network Lead, Professor Ainsley Newson, alongside two panellists: Professor of Cancer Epidemiology Anne Cust whose expertise lies in the prevention, risk and clinical detection of melanoma and Mary-Anne Young, genetic counsellor, clinical genomics researcher and lead author of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia Position Statement on the use of polygenic scores in clinical practice and population health.
We hope to see you there!
Speakers
Professor Anne Cust is a cancer epidemiologist and researcher (NHMRC Investigator Fellow) focused on the prevention and early detection of melanoma and other skin cancers. She is Deputy Director of the Daffodil Centre – a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, and is also a Faculty member of the Melanoma Institute Australia.
Mary-Anne Young is a genetic counsellor from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. Her research interests include returning primary and secondary genomic findings to research participants and patient experiences of receiving personalised genomic information.
The seminar will be chaired by ELSI Genomics Network convenor Professor Ainsley Newson, and there will be ample time for audience questions.
How to join
Please register to access the Zoom link. If you cannot attend, please still register as this will ensure you are emailed a link to the recording afterwards. Finally, we invite you to extend this invitation to colleagues, friends and collaborators who have an interest in the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics.
Join the ELSI Genomics Network
The Australian ELSI Genomics Network is a space designed to share expertise, build collaborations and promote discussion surrounding the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Genomics in Australian clinical practice and research. Our aim for the network is to run quarterly meetings to promote discussion on important ELSI topics, facilitate new connections and support early career researchers. Learn more and subscribe to the newsletter here.