Presentations from the InGeNA conference, HealthData21, are available to delegates on the virtual platform. AIDH Members will have access to it from September on Digital Health TV, the Institute’s own exclusive digital health channel for Fellows and Members.
The Hon Jaala Pulford | Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy
“In the past year genomics has been front and centre in the minds of so many people in the community. Genomic testing of different strains of coronavirus has brought this technology and thinking in to our loungerooms on the nightly news and has been such an important of our response to the pandemic.
Genomics is so important to the future of health innovation. It has huge potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of conditions in people of all ages and stages of life. We are increasingly using technology to quickly and effectively sequence DNA to better understand the causes of medical conditions and this is increasingly playing a role in how we deliver healthcare.”
Prof Kathryn North AC | Director, Murdoch Children's Research Institute & Lead, Australian Genomics Murdoch Children's Research Institute
“When exome sequencing and then whole genome sequencing came along it was a game changer. Since I moved to lead the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in 2013 our goal has been to look at how we can implement the very best evidence from research in genomics into clinical practice so that we are making genomic diagnosis available for all the patients that need it.”
Dr Dan Grant | Managing Director and CEO, MTPConnect
“The megatrend that underpinned the reason why we helped establish InGeNA is the digital evolution of our sector. We are seeing that standardisation of data sharing is accelerating the development of new technologies and treatments that target individuals and the wider health system. We know there are challenges in relation to cyber security and data trust but if we get that right, digital evolution will have a huge impact on the sector. Precision healthcare and personalised medicine are all an outcome of leveraging data in genomics but we can’t overlook the importance of consumer control.”
Megan Donnell | CEO, Childhood Dementia Initiative
“Childhood dementia. Two words that should never go together. In 2020 I founded the Childhood Dementia Initiative. The burden of disease study we undertook was a world first and the results were both horrifying and compelling. We identified more than 70 individual genetic conditions that caused childhood dementia, a list expected to grow as research progresses. Fewer than 5% of the conditions have a treatment. One in 2,800 babies will develop childhood dementia. My story would have followed a wildly different path if genomics had, in fact, played a role in healthcare.”