Pharmacogenomics Flagship
Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genomic variations influence a patient’s response to medications. Pharmacogenomics offers personalised insight into which drugs are most likely to benefit and which should be avoided.
Harmful drug reactions can be caused by medications in patients who carry known pharmacogenomic genetic variants, underscoring the importance of pharmacogenomic research to establish evidence based drug treatment regimens that can prevent harmful and potentially fatal drug reactions.
Individual drug responses can vary in relation to genetic variants which can be different across ethnic groups. Unfortunately, little work has been done on identifying and quantifying the frequency of these variants among Indigenous Australians.
The Pharmacogenomics Flagship will lead, coordinate, and align expertise to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders and maximise benefits for Indigenous people.
The QLD Node team
Gregory Pratt, Shivashankar Nagaraj, Sarah Medland, Julie McGaughran, Simone Reynolds, Mark Wenitong, Lyn Griffiths.
Queensland Node Co-ordinator: Scott Trindall
QIGC
Queensland Indigenous Governance Council is supported by Caitlin King.
Christine Mann (Woppaburra )
Felecia Watkin (Erub, Mabuiag and Badu)
Floyd Leedie (Wakka Wakka, Luma Luma and Kullillee)
Jermane Herbohn (Ko Ko Muluridji with Ancestral connections to Ku Ku Yalanji, Djirrbal, Yidindji and Wakamin )
Kiri Fabila (Jabirr Jabirr)
Renee Williams (Bindal and Juru and connections to Wakka Wakka and Mer and Erub Islands)
Sandy Gillies (Gunggari)
Valma King (Gumbaynggir / Dunghutti)
Yvonne Cadet-James (Gugu Badhun )
Two members of the QIGC will attend the ALIGN National Indigenous Governance Council meetings.
Pharmacogenomics Flagship Goals
The QLD Node will develop a nationally-endorsed roadmap for pharmacogenomic benefit among Indigenous populations.
To achieve this, they will facilitate workshops with stakeholders from the genomic health, research, community-controlled, and health sector to identify critical infrastructure that supports identification of priority health concerns and illnesses of significance and which pharmacogenomic offers the opportunity to improve patient outcomes. These discussions will inform the co-design of prospective pharmacogenomic projects into the future.
The QLD Node will partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ATSICCHO) across metropolitan, regional, remote and very remote service settings to explore the integration of genetic healthcare, including pharmacogenomics into primary care settings.
Community Based Researchers (CBR) will be appointed for several ATSICCHO sites to coordinate improved access to genetic health services, support local engagement, planning and facilitation of workshops and community discussions regarding genetics and genomics, genetic testing, pharmacogenomics, and research need priorities.
Key outputs will include:
- Co-design of a nationally endorsed roadmap to pharmacogenomic benefits for Indigenous Australians;
- Evaluation of the adaptability, impact, and benefit of coordinated precision healthcare; and
- Documentation of health priorities for which pharmacogenomics research offers the potential to contribute to understanding of disease and the application for health benefit.