Ground-breaking Aboriginal-led precision medicine research
5 December 2024
As part of the efforts within the ALIGN NSW node, we are are happy to announce the investment from NSW Ministry of Health’s Office for Health & Medical Research into the Precision Medicine for Public Health initiative. This significant investment of $1.4 million by the NSW Government into precision medicine will aim to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people in the state.
The team, led by Professor Alex Brown (Yuin Nation), Professor David James, Professor Ben Kile, Professor Jason Kovacic, Professor Daniel MacArthur, in partnership with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC), will work with Aboriginal communities across NSW to design and implement a platform to develop precision medicine for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Precision Medicine for Public Health initiative will fill a critical gap by engaging and empowering Aboriginal communities on a large scale, in the design, implementation and evaluation of an Aboriginal precision medicine and public health platform. According to Professor Brown, this will ensure “…precision medicine delivers benefit to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rather than widening health outcome gaps. This will require fundamental shifts in the commitment to culturally appropriate community engagement and governance.”
The first phase of Precision Medicine for Public Health, in partnership with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Council of NSW, will involve extensive consultation with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), Aboriginal communities in NSW, health system leaders and providers, academic and industry partners.