SING Australia 2023

7 January 2024

SING Australia – Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics

SING brings together Indigenous Australians together for a week-long workshop of mentoring. The program covers the technical genomics skills as well as the ethical and social implications of genomic research, including the risks and the benefits for Indigenous peoples. Indigenous Australians are currently underrepresented in the field of genomics, and this program aims to develop the next generation of ethical researchers.

This year, a number of the ALIGN network attended as participants and contributors to SING Boorloo (Perth) 2023 on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar and hosted by Telethon Kids Institute. More than 30 participants enjoyed presentations from experts such as Professor Alex Brown, Professor Gareth Baynam,  Ms Tiffany Boughtwood, and two international guests from Aotearoa, A/Prof Phillip Wilcox and Dr Kimiora Henare.

SING brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from around Australia. Participants brought with them perspectives from genomic counselling, archaeology, bioinformatics, public health, and Aboriginal Community Controlled health services. A highlight of the week for most was time in the labs, where samples of locally sourced wattle seeds were prepared for sequencing of the DNA.