CGEn Synapsis

CGEn Café Scientifique – Breaking down barriers: Exploring the role of equity in the future of precision medicine

CGEn hosted its first Café Scientifique event on Monday, September 18, 2023, in Toronto and online. The event, supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), aimed to foster an open dialogue between the general public and health research experts on health-related issues of public interest. The expert panel discussed the topic 'Breaking down barriers: Exploring the role of equity in the future of precision medicine'.  Panelists included Dr. Claude Bherer, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Dr. Yvonne Bombard, Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto; Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto; Canada Research Chair in Genomics Health Services and Policy, Dr. Seema Mital, Head, Cardiovascular Research; Staff Cardiologist; Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Dr. Ma'n Zawati, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine; Research Director, Centre of Genomics and Policy, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University. The panel was moderated by Dr. Ian Stedman, Assistant Professor, Canadian Public Law and Governance, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University; and a rare disease patient and advocate. The panellists described examples of their current and emerging research in precision/personalized medicine, their views on equity gaps and challenges, and ways to detect, monitor, and measure inequities in research and clinical care. They highlighted specific initiatives and what work is still required to move toward a more equitable future. Finally, they engaged in an open discussion with the audience, including healthcare providers, government members, patients and members of the public, on ways to overcome the barriers and equity challenges in precision medicine.

CGEn Synapsis episode 4: Tiffany Boughtwood

In this fourth episode of the CGEn Synapsis podcast, Dr. Naveed Aziz, CEO, CGEn, speaks with Tiffany Boughtwood, Managing Director of Australian Genomics. Australian Genomics is a national collaborative partnership of more than 100 organizations piloting a whole-of-system approach to integrating genomics into healthcare, based on federation principles. Tiffany and Naveed discuss the results of the first five years of operations, the importance of population-wide genomics studies and the need for integration in the healthcare system, as well as collaborating with other nations in order to ensure equitable use of these technologies.

CGEn Synapsis episode 3: Mark Blaxter

In this episode of the CGEn Synapsis podcast, Dr. Naveed Aziz, CEO, CGEn, is joined by Dr. Mark Blaxter, Programme Lead for the Tree of Life Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, United Kingdom. Blaxter and Aziz speak about the role genomic sequence information plays in biodiversity conservation and the latest work of the Tree of Life Programme, part of the Earth BioGenome Project which aims to sequence all life on earth. They discuss the importance of local, national and international linkages since "the species we share this planet with do not care about human boundaries," Blaxter shares. Finally, they discuss how the Canadian BioGenome Project is uniquely contributing to the Earth BioGenome Project through collaborations with scientists, Indigenous peoples and conservation groups across Canada. Learn more about our guest speaker: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/person/blaxter-mark/

CGEn Synapsis episode 2: Martha Crago

On this second episode of CGEn's Synapsis Podcast, Dr. Naveed Aziz, CEO, CGEn, speaks with Dr. Martha Crago, McGill University’s Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation and Chair of the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) about the genomics landscape in Canada. Dr. Crago shares her thoughts on coordinating efforts to increase the impact of genomics research in Canada, and other considerations for the federal government's Pan-Canadian Genomics strategy, programs and policies to support the future of genomics in Canada.

CGEn Synapsis episode 1: Gordon McCauley

In the first episode of the CGEn Synapsis Podcast, Dr. Naveed Aziz speaks with Gordon McCauley, President and CEO of adMare BioInnovations, about the current climate for Canadian innovation, what Canada is doing to compete globally in the Life Sciences sector, and what Canada could be doing to support more cohesive and sustainable innovation networks.